Final Fantasy Renewal
by Angel Peach Blossom
Summary: The crystals, long since disappeared from the world. The Crystal Core is the only one that remains. A young girl pulled into an adventure against her will. What could fate have in store? A mix of Final Fantasy.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: After a long time of not writing, this is my newest project, and probably my biggest one yet!**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

A young brown haired girl looked around, confusion filling her brown eyes. The area around her did not look familiar at all to her. She was in a small clearing with trees surrounding her. The sound of chirping birds and some water filled her ears.

"Where am I?" she whispered to herself. She had no idea why she asked herself this. It was not like she knew the answer, and there was no one else around her to hear her question.

That was when she looked over her shoulder. What she saw caused her to gasp slightly, and she turned around. There was a pond in the middle of the clearing, and floating right above it was a large, glowing crystal.

A large crystal floating in the middle of what seemed to be nowhere was not what she expected to see. And yet, something about the crystal seemed very familiar to her. Had she seen this crystal before? She wasn't sure how that could be, because she couldn't really remember seeing a crystal so big before.

Taking in a small breath, she moved forward, holding out her hand. She stopped at the edge of the pond, trying to reach out to the crystal. She let out a gasp of surprise when the crystal seemed to glow much more brightly than it did before, and she quickly shielded her eyes.

That was when she heard the voices. They spoke mostly in whispers, so she couldn't tell what was being said. She called out to them, but they didn't answer. As the voices continued around her, her surroundings began to fade. All that remained was the huge crystal.

She wanted to know more about what was going on, but before she could even ask her questions, she found herself waking up. It was a dream, she quickly realized. Then she discovered something else that she was less than happy about.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything in Final Fantasy.

A soft groan escaped the girl's lips when she saw what was around her. Perhaps the dream made her forgetful, or perhaps a bit disoriented. But until now, she didn't know the situation she was in. And to be fair, she didn't even have a clue in the first place.

She was inside of what appeared to be a wagon, lying down on her side. There were some bags inside as well, which she was guessing was to make her harder to notice from anyone who passed them by. She could hear the talking around her, and recognized them as the whispers from her dream.

"And this is supposed to be discreet?" one of the voices asked, sounding uncertain. "I think it would have been better if we were in our airship."

"Yeah, and that's probably what others would expect us to do," another voice replied. "I do prefer our airship as well, but if we don't want to draw a lot of attention, this is the only other option."

"Well, there is the sea," a third voice piped up. "But then again, we don't do well on ships like that."

The talking died down and the girl allowed herself a quiet sigh. She did her best to shift her position, but that was difficult. Her hands were behind her back, crossed at the wrists, and tied together with a strong piece of rope. She had to bite back a gasp of pain, as she could feel the cords trying to bite into her wrists. She couldn't move her arms either, as another coil of rope was tied around her chest. Her ankles were tied up as well.

The brunette slowly closed her brown eyes, trying to remember what happened before waking up here. She hated to admit it, but she couldn't remember much. When she woke up before, she was in some sort of castle. No one would tell her what was going on, claiming that she should already know, and no one believed her when she claimed she didn't remember anything. At least, no one stepped forward to say so.

Apparently something went without a hitch, which she assumed was her capture. But they decided they couldn't just keep her there, and by order of their king, she was to be moved to a different location. Before she could even ask where, someone who was referred to as a Black Mage was summoned. She couldn't see his face because of the big hat he wore, and the blue cloak probably helped masked his features.

"That's right," the girl whispered softly. "That person cast a spell on me. I wonder if I was supposed to be asleep the whole time?"

The fear that she felt when she was in the castle returned to her. Many questions swirled in her mind, and yet she didn't have answers to any one of them. She had no idea why she was captured in the first place, and she didn't know what they were planning to do to her. And it was the unknown that was the scary thing.

She coached herself under her breath that she had to relax, but it was clear she was having difficulty in that. Even if she knew the truth, she would still be scared, and she realized this. She wasn't even sure if she was supposed to be awake yet.

The only thing she could think of to do was to just keep silent and just act like she was still under the Sleep spell. Maybe she might hear something else if she did so, and get some clues to her predicament.

* * *

They were walking through a forest, the sun barely able to shine through the branches, casting shadows that protected the guards from the sun's rays. After a few minutes, the soldier at the front of the wagon slowed his horse a bit, stopping in what appeared to be in the middle of a clearing. This strange mission, stranger than all the recent odd behavior of the king thus far, had been a strain on their nerves all day. The soldiers all sighed with relief and came to a stop as well, hoping for a long rest while exchanging uncertain looks.

Not everyone seemed so uncertain and after awhile they started to avoid each other's eyes, not wanting to appear disloyal by just looking.

"How much further until we reach the pick up point?" one of the men suddenly asked with a nervous expression on his face.

"It's still a little ways from here," another soldier answered, stepping up next to him. "Don't look so nervous. Anyone who sees us will think you are very suspicious, which we are trying to avoid."

"I know that, but I just don't like this," his fellow complained. "I mean, is this really right? With all that has happened lately, I am starting to wonder…"

No one could respond to what he was saying, and just let him trail off. They stared at one another for a moment before slowly shaking their heads. At this point, they were all too deep into this. It wasn't like they could back out of it now.

After a moment of silence, one of the soldiers volunteered to stand guard by the wagon. No one argued and instead drifted to other parts of the clearing. Some of the soldiers decided to try to take their minds off of what they were doing by talking about other things going on in their lives. Meanwhile, the soldier at the wagon just stood by, looking in to check the contents lazily before going back to keeping an eye out.

About a few minutes later, the sound of armored boots could be heard coming closer. All at once, everyone stood on edge. Despite the earlier comments, it was clear that just about everyone was nervous about this.

As the figure stepped closer, they saw a young man, covered from head to toe in black armor. His visor was down currently, and was hiding his eyes a bit. But as soon as they saw him, everyone relaxed slightly, and the watcher at the wagon once again took a lazier attitude.

"Is that you, Captain Cecil?" one of the soldiers inquired. "Where have you been?"

The man known as Cecil allowed himself a tiny smile at what he heard, but quickly shook his head. "As of now, I am not your captain. I'm sure you are aware of this."

"Yes, that's true, but you will always be captain in our eyes!" another soldier remarked.

"I see." Cecil slowly lowered his head for a moment, before addressing the soldiers. "To answer your other question, I was down in the village of Mist."

No one dared question why he had been there and instead looked at their former captain with sympathy. They had all heard about Mist. Talk had eventually spread over why Cecil, along with the commander of the Dragoons Kain, had to go there. To say the least, they were glad they didn't have to take the job, but they were all certain it was haunting the dark knight.

One of the men suddenly looked curious and asked, "What took you so long to return, sir?"

Cecil looked to the wagon and noticed that the one standing guard appeared to be asleep. He shook his head and turned his gaze back to the others. "I'm sure you heard about the earthquake that happened there. Well, there was a landslide and that slowed me down."

For some reason everyone was paying so much attention to Cecil that no one noticed a girl sneaking around near the wagon. After making sure no one was watching, she crawled inside. A relieved smile appeared on her lips when she saw a short, brown haired girl.

"Just like he said," she murmured as she approached the girl whom she assumed was still sleeping. Thinking that perhaps she might have been drugged, she started to reach into one of her pockets for something that would do the trick.

No sooner than she made the move did she see the girl's eyes open, revealing their brown color. "W… who are you?" the girl asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm Serah," the pink haired girl answered in the same quiet tone. "Don't worry, I'm here to rescue you."

Serah leaned forward and carefully started to work on the knots of the ropes. Neither girl said anything so they wouldn't alert anyone. The brunette did her best to fight back another wince. Noticing her slight movement, Serah silently apologized.

Meanwhile, Cecil and the soldiers were talking about things that had happened since he had left. The pink haired girl smiled, thinking he was doing a good job. But, she knew it was just a matter of time before they were found out.

Serah finally got all the knots undone and looked toward the other girl. She watched as she slowly sat up, stretched her arms a little bit, and then gently rubbed her wrists. Even though what happened next more than likely took a few seconds, it felt longer than that. They were looking at each other, and she seemed to just stare at first. Maybe it had to do with her clothing? Her white and pink outfit wasn't something you would see everyday.

Upon realizing what she was doing, the brunette shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude…" she started to say.

Serah put a finger to her lips to hush the girl. "We have no time. Can you walk?" The brown haired girl nodded wordlessly, causing the other to smile. "Good. Come on, we need to get out of here."

The brunette nodded her head in agreement and quietly followed after the other girl. They got out of the wagon without being noticed, and were carefully making their way back the way Serah herself had come. Things seemed to be going smoothly. Perhaps a little too smoothly.

One of the soldiers happened to look their way. "Hey! The girl is getting away!" he shouted, alerting everyone to what was going on.

Serah quickly reached out, grabbed the girl's wrist, and started to run as quickly as she could. The brunette stumbled a little, as she wasn't prepared for such a move. She gasped in alarm when she heard someone order the guards to go after her.

"What are we going to do?" the brown haired girl asked, doing her best to keep up with the other girl.

"Over here, kupo!"

Serah nodded and quickly turned toward the speaker, taking the other girl with her, and causing her to stumble again. With a final burst of speed, the girls went into the nearby bushes and quickly ducked down. The brunette gasped a little to get in some air, but when she saw the look in Serah's blue eyes, she stopped and her breath caught in her throat.

Not long later, the sounds of many footsteps ran passed their hiding place. One of the soldiers stopped for a moment, looking into the bushes. He smiled a little, then quickly headed off after his fellows.

"What was that about?" the brunette wondered. "Did he know we were here? If so, why did he just let us go?"

Not knowing what to say to what just happened, the two girls sat there in silence. Relief flooded into the brunette's eyes and for the first time in what felt like a while, she allowed herself to smile. She was finally free!

After a few minutes, another set of footsteps could be heard, but only one. They came to a stop and there was silence for a couple more minutes, as though the one who was there was checking something really quickly. "It's safe to come out now, Serah, Chrysta. You too, Mog."

The brunette looked confused but followed Serah from out of the bushes. Cecil stood before the girls and pulled up his visor, allowing them to see his blue eyes. It was safe to say that the girl was puzzled about a couple things. The first was obviously the dark knight himself. But there was also the fact that he called her Chrysta. At least, she was sure that was the name he used for her. She was pretty sure it wasn't Mog.

"Is she okay, kupo?" asked a nearby, cute sounding voice. The brunette turned toward the source of the voice and saw a white furred creature flying in the sky. He had purple bat like wings, a pink diamond shaped pom pom on the top of his head, and a round, pink nose. The girl couldn't help thinking how cute he looked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she answered, allowing her voice to rise higher than it had been up until then. She turned her attention to Cecil and tilted her head. "You called me Chrysta, right?"

"Of course," the knight replied with a nod of his head. "You told me yourself."

"I did?" Chrysta questioned, even more puzzled than she was before. "Do I… know you?"

Cecil, Serah and Mog exchanged glances before looking back at her. "Yes, you should know, kupo," the moogle said nodding his head. "If it wasn't for him, you would still be a prisoner, kupo."

Cecil looked away, as though he suddenly wasn't able to look into the brunette's eyes. "Of course, if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have been captured in the first place."

Chrysta blinked her brown eyes and eyed each of her rescuers. She was sure that they had come to save her, considering what Mog had said. But was it possible that they knew something about her past? She wanted to ask, but for whatever the reason, she couldn't get her voice to work.

"Anyway, we should probably get going," Serah quickly suggested. "We don't want them catching up to us once they realize they passed us."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Cecil agreed, nodding his head.

"Where are we going?" Chrysta asked, stepping toward the group. Even though she didn't know who they were, they did rescue her. That and she felt much safer with them.

"It's probably best if we didn't say," the knight answered slowly. "We don't want anyone to know where we are going."

* * *

The walk had been uneventful and despite how Chrysta felt she was unable to ask her questions. A few hours later, the sun dipped over the horizon, making it difficult to see in the woods. Figuring that it would be better to rest, they pitched a tent. After having a meal, which the brunette greatly appreciated, the girls decided to sleep. Cecil didn't seem to mind saying someone had to keep watch.

Despite it all, Chrysta couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was due to the spell she had been under before, but she knew that wasn't the full reason. The questions still swirled in her mind, and she still didn't have her answers.

Now there were even more questions than there were before. What was Cecil talking about before? Where are these people taking her? And that soldier whom stopped for a moment and passed them by. Did he know they were there and just didn't say anything?

However, there was one thing everyone knew at this point. She had amnesia, and unlike the Baron soldiers, they believed her. Cecil didn't seem to know what to make of the information, but she could remember the confidence in Serah's voice when she said that her memories were bound to come back.

With all those thoughts in her mind, Chrysta stood up with her blanket and wrapped it around her. She stepped outside to see Cecil sitting by the campfire. "Cecil?"

"Chrysta?" The dark knight stood up and looked over his shoulder. "Can't you sleep?"

The girl slowly shook her head silently.

"I see," Cecil murmured. The young man looked up to the sky, although it was difficult to see anything through the branches. They even blocked their view of the moon.

"Cecil, I want to ask you some things," Chrysta said slowly as she approached the campfire. "I mean, about before. What you said…"

Cecil shook his head again and turned it hoping to avoid the girl's gaze. "With what I've done, if I were to tell you what happened, I wouldn't expect forgiveness."

"But, you rescued me," the girl protested.

Cecil stood there for a moment, wondering if he should tell the girl what happened. In a way, he was glad she couldn't remember it. But was it really for the best he didn't tell her?

"Cecil, won't you tell me what happened?" Chrysta asked, giving him a pleading look even though she was sure he couldn't see it.

Cecil nodded a little bit and turned to face her. "Yes, I think you deserve to know that much."

**Author's Note: I know when one thinks of the Red Wings, they think of the airships, but I did have a reason for doing it this way. And as for the horses, I wasn't thinking of chocobos when it came to wagon.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything in Final Fantasy

Cecil_ tried to tell himself over and over why they had to do this. His majesty, King Baron, had given them the orders to go the forest village of Mysidia. It was there that they would find the last remaining crystal in the world, the Crystal Core, and a girl who was said to cause a reaction from it. At least, that was what their informer had told them. They were to go into the village and take this girl and the Crystal Core by force._

_The dark knight did his best not to let it show that he didn't like the situation. He tried to rationalize the order by saying that the Mysidians were a threat with their keeping the Crystal Core a secret, as well as their knowledge of it. Try as he might, he couldn't come up with a good reason for the girl however. He came up with several reasons, but all of them seemed to fall flat._

"_Captain, we are nearing Mysidia," one of the Red Wings said, taking him out of his thoughts._

"_Very well. Prepare to land and disembark."_

_As the Red Wings went about to follow their captain's demand, and relay the order between the five ships, some talk could be heard among them. Some of them were trying to figure out what Cecil had on his mind right then, while others were trying to question what the king was thinking._

_Cecil had to admit that he understood why some of his men were talking as they were. However, he tried to reason with himself that the king must have good intentions for what he was doing. After all, King Baron was the one who took him in and raised him since he was an infant. Surely the good hearted man that was the closest thing he had to a father couldn't do any wrong._

_However, even he was starting to have his own doubts._

_It was pretty uneventful for a little while. After landing the airships and heading into the forest, all they could do was walk. The chatter of the Red Wings had long since died down, mostly so they wouldn't sound disloyal._

_Finally, the forest village of Mysidia came into full view. Cecil and the Red Wings entered the village, surprising the many mages that were there. The dark knight captain held back his feelings, hoping his men would do the same and addressed the village. "We are the Red Wings, and by order of the King of Baron, we are here for the Crystal Core!"_

_At that point, Cecil was hoping that it was only just the Crystal Core. Information could be wrong after all, and the idea of kidnapping someone just didn't sit well with him. But then again, the whole situation soon proved to be problematic for him._

_Despite being a village of mages, for whatever the reason, they weren't even trying to fight back. At least, not like they should have. They were going out of their way to not only try to stop the knights from going deeper into the woods where the Crystal Core was, but they were also protecting a girl, who looked like an outsider, since she wasn't wearing the usual White Mage or Black Mage cloaks. In fact, her clothing seemed a little odd in general._

_Amid the chaos, Cecil could hear the voice of the elder, "Chrysta, you have to run!"_

"_But what about you guys?" the girl asked, a look of worry on her face._

"_It doesn't matter! If they were to get their hands on you…"_

* * *

Cecil trailed off and looked away from the girl sitting next to him. There was silence between the two for a moment, and all they could hear was the crackling sounds from the nearby fire. It was clear that Chrysta was surprised to hear the story, and she waited for the dark knight to continue.

"What happened next? Please, tell me Cecil." Chrysta watched as the dark knight looked back in her direction and slowly nodded his head.

"Well, hearing what the elder said confirmed the information we had heard," Cecil went on, turning his gaze toward the fire. "As I mentioned earlier, we would told to secure the Crystal Core as well as to bring back a girl. We weren't specifically told what she looked like, but when we saw the elder and the villagers try to protect you, we knew you were the one.

"You looked frightened, and I figured it was just because it seemed we were after you. But there seemed to be another reason. In order to stop the bloodshed, you surrendered to us. You tried to tell the Mysidians that you were an outsider, and you didn't want anyone to die protecting you like that."

Chrysta nodded a little as she listened. It sounded familiar, but at the same time, she couldn't get a grasp on the full memory. "I take it that they weren't happy with me though."

Cecil shook his head in reply. "That is true, but that wasn't only it. Some of my men managed to slip by further into the forest and got their hands on the Crystal Core. At around that moment, I had cornered the village elder. We had pretty much won by then."

"So, that's why I was at Baron then," Chrysta said quietly. She slowly shook her head, looking even more confused. "But, I don't get it. It sounds like that both me and the Crystal Core was important. So, why would they only move me? I was the only thing in the wagon. Well, minus those bags, but they weren't big enough to hold such a huge crystal."

Even though nothing had been said for sure, the brunette assumed that the Crystal Core had to be that huge crystal from her dream. She did seem to recognize it somehow, and that would be the only way how this could be the case. She seemed to be right on the nose because the knight didn't correct her if she was wrong.

Cecil shrugged his shoulders, turning to face the brunette once more. "I can't say for sure. Even I don't understand the king lately." He paused for a moment before adding, "There is more to the story though."

The brunette gazed at the knight curiously, wondering what more could be said. She pretty much had the gist to what happened during her capture. And at least, even if she didn't understand it, she may even have a clue to what made her so important. How could there be anything more to the story?

"Before we arrived back in Baron, I decided to check up on you," Cecil went on, ignoring the girl's confused look. "I expected you to be afraid of me, or even hate me. To be honest, I wouldn't have blamed you if you were. Instead, you looked at me with sympathy."

"Why would I show you sympathy?" the girl asked looking even more puzzled than she did before. "I mean, considering you kidnapped me, and attacked the village."

"I'm not sure why," Cecil went on. "All I know is that you said that you sensed something from me and just couldn't hate me."

Chrysta shook her head feeling more and more confused just thinking about it. If Cecil wasn't lying to her at all, which she was hoping was the case, that extra knowledge made no sense at all. She had to admit that it would have made more sense to hate him, or at the very least fear him. How could she feel sorry for him?

Even now, in the back of her mind, she felt sorry for him. She couldn't understand her reasoning, aside from hearing how uncertain Cecil was during the whole thing. "Well, I don't understand it either," the girl finally confessed. "But I know that you at least rescued me now."

Cecil finally managed to smile at the girl, who returned the gesture. "Anyway, you should go and get some sleep. We have a long walk ahead of us."

Chrysta slowly nodded her head again and walked toward the tent. She thanked him for telling her the story before heading back inside, leaving the dark knight to guard duty. The moment she left, the smile left his features.

He didn't tell her everything, but he felt what she had learned that night would be enough. He did not want her to remember one detail. The one that he was sure should have made her hate him the most.

* * *

Chrysta groaned a little as she turned over from her back to her side. She was still having problems sleeping, which seemed like it had to do with the fact that she just couldn't get comfortable. Something in the back of her mind told her this was a new experience. That she had never been camping before, or at least sleeping in a tent like they were now.

Not that the story Cecil told her made it any easier either. While she was grateful to at least know what happened when she got captured, it was still a lot of information to swallow. It seemed that she was just as important as the Crystal Core was, at least, considering the reaction they had heard about. It even explained her dream a little bit.

But that didn't explain the whole reason. What was so important about the Crystal Core? What did the reaction to her actually mean? And why did it seem like they were going to move her and not the Crystal Core if they are both so important?

She hated to admit it, but all the story did was give her even more unanswered questions.

Chrysta slowly sat up into a sitting position and looked over at Serah. She couldn't help smiling a little at seeing Mog resting peacefully in the other girl's arms. It was such a cute image, and it made her feel a little better about her situation.

"Come on Chrysta, you need to get your sleep," she coached herself as she started to lie back down. "It sounds like we have a bit of a walk ahead, and we need all the sleep we can get."

Despite telling herself this, she heard something that caught her attention, and she quickly rose to her feet. It sounded like some people talking, but she couldn't hear it very well. Forgetting the blanket this time, she let her curiosity take over. She moved toward the front of the tent and opened the flap so she could get a look outside. She couldn't see Cecil in front of the fire, and that worried her since he was supposed to on lookout.

Chrysta then looked over to her left and spotted Cecil, who looked like he was talking to two soldiers. In fact, the soldiers looked like they were from Baron's Red Wings. Feeling nervous and worried, she did her best to stick to whatever shadows there were and slowly approached so she could hear them better. She stopped some ways away so she could at least hear, while hopefully not being seen.

The two guards were armed with their swords, but they were looking at one another. One of them breathed a sigh of relief, and both of them sheathed their weapons. "So, you are still you, Captain Cecil," the soldier remarked.

"And you two as well, Biggs, Wedge?" Cecil asked, looking the two over.

"Of course," the other soldier agreed with a nod of his head.

For a moment, Chrysta was confused by what little bit she heard, but she pieced it together quickly. When she was pretending to be sleeping, she recalled some of the soldiers outside referring to Cecil as their captain. At least, she got that part. She didn't get the 'still you' part yet.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Cecil suddenly asked the pair.

"We're here to help, sir," one of the soldiers answered. "Wedge and I have been talking and the King has been acting so oddly lately. First the capture of the girl and the Crystal Core, and then the destruction of the village of Mist."

Chrysta had to do her best to hold back a gasp. The name of the village sounded familiar, but that wasn't the reason why. A village was destroyed because of the King of Baron's orders? She did hear Cecil mention a village of Mist, but she didn't know anything other than that.

"How did you find out about that?" Cecil inquired, looking between the two men. "All Kain and I were told that we were to deliver a ring to the village of Mist."

"That is what we heard too," the other soldier that was named Wedge answered. "But some time after you left, we heard about what had happened to Mist, and it became known that if there were somehow any survivors, the summoners were to be killed."

"I see." Cecil seemed to relax a bit more, which seemed to suggest that he trusted the two soldiers. "You said you wanted to help, right? Well, you two can scout ahead. We are supposed to be meeting some people that will help us reach the headquarters of the resistance movement. But we don't want to walk into a trap of some sort either."

"Understood, Captain!" the two exclaimed as they saluted the dark knight. They were about to turn around and leave, when they both paused for a moment. Biggs turned around and approached Cecil.

"There are search parties looking for you and the girl," he told the young man. "I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that, but you need to keep a lookout too. We'll do our best to help in any way we can."

Chrysta, thinking that she heard enough, started to back up toward the tent. She wasn't sure what to think of this new info. But at least she thought she was getting more of the picture. Provided no one was lying to her so far. Or at least, any lies in what she may have overheard.

She figured that because of the orders from the King, that some of his most loyal knights had started to turn on him. That is, if Cecil, Biggs and Wedge were truly on the same page. But the king seemed to have been acting oddly, since the three of them seemed to have suspected that they were acting strangely as well. The only thing she didn't get was how delivering a ring could destroy a village.

_"A Carnelian Signet. A ring, which sealed monstrous bombs that once released, will spread fire in the immediate area. The king wanted the village torched."_

Chrysta blinked for a moment and shook her head, trying to think on where that information just came from. It was though the thought came out of nowhere. She was so occupied in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone else sneaking into the back of the tent.

She couldn't put her finger on it, but that sounded familiar. Maybe it was from something she had forgotten? But how could she forget something like that? As far as she knew, she wasn't even in Mist. It sounded like she was captured before Cecil was sent to destroy the place, along with someone else named Kain.

"Unless I also heard about it, like those soldiers did, before I lost my memory," the brunette murmured. "But then, I can't say for sure."

She shook her head and quickly crawled back into the tent, hoping that she wasn't noticed during the time she just stood there. When she got inside, she saw the same familiar sight of Serah sleeping with Mog also resting her arms. There was something different about the position though. Instead of being on her back, the other girl was instead resting on her side.

Not thinking much of it, since she also had turned over at some point during the night, Chrysta decided that she had to get some rest, and she had to get it now.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

"_Chrysta? Are you doing okay?"_

_Chrysta looked up to the source of the voice. There she could see the kind face of a young man, who looked at her with concern. His hair was white, long enough to be put into a short ponytail, and his eyes were brown in color._

_They had been walking for a bit, and the sun was still pretty high in the sky. Every once and a while, it would be hidden by a cloud that was passing by. The whole thing felt familiar to her, but she couldn't place it._

_She was dreaming again, she was sure of it. However, despite her own knowledge of it, she couldn't control the dream at all. It was though her movements were decided, along with her words. All she was technically doing was watching and listening to what was going on._

"_I'm sorry," Chrysta heard herself say with a quiet sigh. "I'm really not used to walking this long. My legs are sore."_

"_I see," the young man replied, giving the girl a friendly smile. There was something about that smile that made her feel safe and comforted. "Do you need to rest then?"_

"_Are you sure that is okay?" Chrysta asked, but she could hear her own relief in her voice._

"_Of course. We are in no rush," the young man answered._

"_Thank you, Rue," Chrysta said gratefully and sat down on the ground. The man named Rue soon followed her example, sitting on the soft grass._

_Rue glanced over at the girl, and gave her a sympathetic look. "I know this must be difficult for you. Being brought to a place like this when you can't even protect yourself. You must be homesick too."_

"_I am a little homesick," the girl admitted. "But I know I can't just sit around and mope. I have to know the reason why this happened."_

_Rue's smile was soft and gentle, and his tone of voice seemed to match. So much in fact that she almost didn't hear him say, "I know it is selfish of me to say this… but I would miss you if you ever left."_

* * *

Chrysta's eyes fluttered open, and with a stretch, she slowly sat up. That dream she had, she knew it had to be a memory of some kind. Even in her slumber, she knew she felt safe by him. That he would do whatever it took to make sure she was okay.

It did make her wonder, for a brief moment, if camping truly was a new experience for her, or if it was clearly due to her memory loss.

"Ah, you're awake, kupo!"

Chrysta looked over to the one who spoke, and saw Mog floating nearby. She did a quick look around and discovered that they were the only ones in the tent. "Good morning, Mog. Where is Serah and Cecil?"

"Outside having breakfast, kupo," the moogle answered. "You better get something to eat as well, kupo."

At the mention of food, Chrysta felt her stomach growling. "Yeah, you're probably right," she agreed, putting one hand over her tummy sheepishly, wondering if the moogle heard anything. Mog made a giggling sound as the girl stood up, indicating that he had.

When she opened the tent flap, she found Cecil and Serah sitting nearby. The campfire had been put out as well, as there didn't seem to be any reason for it anymore. It suddenly struck the brunette that having that fire up was a bad idea anyway. The enemy could have easily found them if they saw the smoke from the fire itself.

But then again, she had to remind herself that Biggs and Wedge found them, but apparently it was fine since they wanted to help. But the thought of a sudden ambush just didn't want to leave her alone.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead!" Serah called cheerfully, taking the brunette out of her thoughts. She patted the grassy area beside her, and offered her some breakfast.

Chrysta gratefully accepted, since she was pretty hungry. When she looked at the food offered her that was in a wooden bowl, she had no idea what to call it. It looked like a mess. It didn't smell particularly awful per se, but it didn't look very appetizing either.

Seeing the look on her face, Serah shook her head a little. "I'm sorry, we didn't have very much to work with."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Chrysta said quickly. Not wanting to seem rude about it, the brunette picked up the spoon in the bowl, and scooped up some of the food. She put it into her mouth, and she couldn't help making a slight face before she chewed and swallowed. Serah smiled at the other girl, and went back to her own food, but had similar difficulty. Cecil seemed to have no trouble at all.

After they were done eating, everyone went to work in cleaning up. They put the bowls and what was left of their supplies into a bag, and the tent was also taken down. Mog kept a sharp eye out to make sure no one was coming.

"Okay, let's go!" Serah exclaimed once everything was put away.

Cecil nodded his head in agreement, while Chrysta herself kept silent. Waiting around much longer could be a problem. Especially if what Biggs and Wedge said last night were true about the search parties.

At that point, Chrysta remembered about those two soldiers and wondered if she should speak up. To at least let Cecil know she had overheard, or let Serah and Mog know. However, similar to when they rescued her, it was difficult for her to find her voice, and she just chose to remain silent about it.

The walk out of the forest seemed to take a long time. Perhaps it only just felt like that, but it didn't help when it was uneventful and how the surroundings didn't change all that much. The trees seemed to stretch on as far as their eyes could see.

"Are we almost there?" Chrysta asked, breaking the silence.

"We should be almost there," Cecil told her. He looked over and noticed that she started to slow for a moment. He couldn't help giving her a look of concern. "Are you okay, Chrysta?"

Chrysta was at first taken aback with the way that the dark knight looked at her. It reminded her about her dream, or rather that memory, with Rue. After a moment she snapped out of it and shook her head. "I'm fine," she replied. "I've just been thinking is all."

"About what?" Cecil inquired.

The brunette allowed herself to sigh, knowing that since she admitted to it, she may as well bring up what she was thinking about. "I'm sorry, Cecil. I know I shouldn't have done this since you rescued me and all. But, I heard talking last night after you told me what happened. I saw you talking with those two soldiers from the Red Wings."

"I see," he said slowly. "And you are worried that we may be walking into a trap?"

"No, I'm just wondering your intentions," she said, her voice sounding even more guilty than she intended it to sound. "I know you rescued me, but what if…"

As though he guessed what she was getting at, he quickly held up his left hand. Chrysta noticed the gesture and immediately clamed up. "I'm surprised you didn't question me before," the dark knight told the girl. "At that time, I wouldn't have been able to tell you why you were captured, and even now I can't. But I can say this though. You have my word when I say that I no longer fight in the King's name. With what happened to you, the Mysidians, and those from the village of Mist, I can no longer do what he commands me."

"You can believe his words," Serah added, coming up to stand next to the dark knight, with Mog hovering nearby. "After what happened in Mist, he came to us and told us what had happened. By then, we had also overheard that for some reason, when they hadn't done this before, Baron had allied themselves with the Gestahlian Empire. And we heard, thanks to Cecil, about a girl that had been recently kidnapped for unknown reasons. "

"Just as we were planning to rescue you, we heard some strange rumors, about how the resistance movement, the Returners, had somehow gotten their hold of the Crystal Core," Cecil went on. He put his hand to his chin thoughtfully as he spoke. "This made no sense to us, because we can tell you that they do not have it. But the rumor seemed to worry Baron that perhaps they were planning on rescuing you, and intended to move you to Vector, which is the capital of the Empire. Supposedly, we heard they could keep a better eye on you there."

"Wait, then who has the Crystal Core?" Chrysta piped up, even more puzzled than she was before, if that was even possible at this point. "It is missing from Baron, and you say the Returners don't have it, and it isn't likely that the Mysidians were able to take it back."

"We don't know the answer to that, I'm afraid," Cecil answered, lowering his head a little.

"I think I can shed some light on that subject."

Cecil's eyes widened a little as Chrysta turned around, afraid to see a bunch of Red Wings soldiers. To her surprise, a young man who was clad in blue armor approached the group alone. His visor was up, revealing that his eyes were a light purple color.

"Kain! You're alive!" the dark knight exclaimed, looking happy and relieved at the same time.

"Yeah, I guess I am," the other man answered. He turned his gaze toward the brown haired girl. "You are wondering about the Crystal Core?"

"Well, we were just talking about it," Chrysta answered nervously. She wasn't sure where the nervousness came from, but something seemed to be telling her that something was very wrong about their situation. She just couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Serah and Mog also seemed uneasy. The brunette looked at the two out of the corner of her eyes, and saw, much to her own surprise that Mog somehow transformed into a bow, and went into the pink haired girl's hands. She began to worry if the two knew something she didn't.

"Did you find out something about it?" Cecil inquired the young man before him. "We've heard the Returners have it now, but we know that isn't true."

"True, they don't have it now," Kain answered. "But, it won't be long until it is. Unless of course, the girl is caught again."

Chrysta's brown eyes widened, as though a light switch had been turned on in her head. "A… are you suggesting that…"

"I am," Kain went on, interrupting the girl. "The Crystal Core lies within you!"

"What?!" Chrysta, Serah and Mog gasped in unison, though the moogle's what was followed by a kupo.

"Are you sure about this, Kain?" Cecil questioned, looking just as surprised as the others were.

"Yes, I'm quite sure," Kain replied. "I've heard it all, really. The Crystal Core reacted when the girl was near it. The informer confirmed that the Crystal Core would fuse with someone. And that someone is Chrysta. As for what she can do with the Crystal Core within her… well, I'm sure that will be clarified shortly."

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Serah murmured, looking at the brunette with worry.

"Indeed," Cecil agreed, nodding his head. "Kain, fight with us, please. I'm sure we could use your help."

"To fight is the reason I have come," Kain replied. Then his eyes grew cold, and he put his visor down. "But Cecil… the one I'll fight is you!"

"Kain?!" It was clear that Cecil was shocked, so much in fact that his hand wasn't even on the hilt of his own sword.

Kain however seemed to have no problems grabbing hold of his lance, and it was clear he was more than ready for a fight. "A duel, Cecil! Ready your sword!"

Despite the way that he was being spoken to, Cecil still wouldn't take hold of his own sword. It didn't take long for Chrysta to figure out that these two were supposed to be close, maybe they were even friends. It must be quite a shock for her rescuer, to see his friend betray him like that.

"I know you won't just simply hand over the girl, Cecil. So, I will fight you, and take her by force!"

"Snap out of Kain!" Cecil yelled, as he was finally able to grab hold of the hilt of his weapon. But that was as far as he had gotten by this point.

"Stay silent!" Kain snapped. Serah started to rush forward so she could get into a better position to fight. He noticed the two coming and added, "And you stay out of this, this is between me and him!"

All the group could do was watch in horror as Kain leapt into the air. Chrysta gasped when she saw this, because she had never seen anyone jump so high before. It was almost unnatural how high that jump really was.

"_A dragoon, or dragon knight. Someone who is known for their high jumps."_

Chrysta heard what was said in her head, but all she could do was watch in fear as Kain attempted to land and strike his chosen opponent with his spear. It happened so quickly that the dark knight had no time to get out of the way, only staggering backward with a cry as he was hit.

She realized right then that Cecil truly was trying to save her. In a way, she felt bad for doubting him, but now she realized there was something much bigger to be worrying about.

Cecil still wasn't over his shock, and they could hear the sounds of pounding feet coming from the direction that Kain was standing. Any moment now, they were due to be outnumbered, and if the dark knight didn't even try to fight back, he was going to get killed!

Even now, Serah was preparing her bow, with arrows that seemed to appear magically, but even if the young man got a hold of himself, would it even be enough? She feared her freedom was soon to be short lived, and that others were going to die trying to save and protect her!

Finally, many Baron soldiers arrived, armed with their own weapons. Noticing the others approach, Cecil finally managed to pull out his sword. "Kain, why are you doing this?"

"Do you expect an answer?" the dragoon questioned back.

"_No, I can't let this happen!"_ Chrysta thought, remembering what she had been told specifically last night. "It will be like Mysidia all over again! But I know I can't just give up either. If I do…"

At that moment, it was though she saw a quick flash of memory, and it caused her to gasp in fear. And if what she saw was right, she knew now that Cecil really had held back. Because what she could see, which terrified her, was Cecil slicing down someone who stood before her to protect her. And that person, she could clearly see, was the one that she felt comforted her in her dream: Rue.

The tears formed in Chrysta's brown eyes as she recalled that someone had actually been killed before her. She didn't even remember him very well and the knowledge that he was now dead hurt her greatly. And even worse, Cecil didn't tell her about it.

Even then, as much as it hurt her to know that the dark knight lied, she knew what had triggered the memory. Even though the positions were reversed, it was the same nonetheless. Cecil was now the one protecting her, and if something didn't happen, he would die, just like Rue did when he tried to save her.

"_No! I can't let that happen! I won't let it happen!"_

Without even thinking about it, she started muttering something under her breath. She had no idea where the words were coming from, but at the moment she didn't seem to care. Only one thought seemed to be on her mind. To try to help in some way, so that Cecil, Serah and Mog wouldn't die.

Her sudden chanting surprised the soldiers that appeared behind Kain. "What is going on here?"

"Chrysta?" Cecil questioned, looking over his shoulder briefly.

"Big mistake, Cecil!" The dark knight looked back just in time as Kain lunged forward with his spear he held in his left hand.

Chrysta's eyes widened, finishing the chant, focusing on Kain as best she could. "Fire!"

To everyone's surprise, the brunette included, fire seemed to appear out of nowhere. This stopped the dragoon in his tracks, causing him to back up a few steps. The guards were also surprised and puzzled, some of them gasping at her even using the skill to begin with, whereas others were questioning Kain if he was okay.

The fire subsided after a moment. Kain was still on his feet, but it was clear he wasn't expecting such an attack. "I don't seem to recall you having magic," he said, looking at the girl directly. "Not that it will stop me from finishing my mission!"

Serah looked at Chrysta for a moment before turning her attention back to Kain. "If you think we'll just stand here and let you take her, you are mistaken!"

Despite her own fear, the brunette felt determination rising in her. "If you plan on killing Cecil, you're going to have to deal with me!"

"Sorry we're late, Captain!"

Chrysta couldn't help smiling, as she recognized the voice of Biggs. Despite what she just remembered, she knew that Cecil was trying to save her, since Kain and the Red Wings still seemed to serve the king, and the dragoon himself even tried to take down the young man. Which meant that Biggs and Wedge were on their side. At least, she was hoping so.

Because that would mean reinforcements have arrived!

Much to her delight, several others rushed toward them, with their weapons in hand. Biggs and Wedge were with this group, holding on to their own blades. Serah looked relieved to see the group as well.

"Glad you could make it," the pink haired girl said to the group.

"Well, when we heard what these two had to say, we knew we had to come your aid!" one of the men explained.

"Yeah, after you questioned us first," Wedge murmured.

Biggs shook his head. "Can you blame them though? Considering what has been going on and all."

It was at that moment that Chrysta noticed something odd. Despite the way he was acting before, Kain was suddenly hesitating. As though despite his words, he couldn't bring himself to attack. Was something holding him back?

Doing her best to follow the dragoon's gaze, she looked behind her where the others were. Among the group, she noticed a young woman with blonde hair whose ponytail went down to her back and had gentle brown eyes. Her clothing was mostly yellow, and even though she had never seen anything like it before, it seemed familiar at the same time to her, including the yellow cape.

"R… Rosa?"

"Kain?" the young woman questioned, looking alarmed at what she was she was seeing.

Kain suddenly turned his head, as though he couldn't make eye contact with her for some reason. "D… don't look at me," he pleaded, backing up a few steps.

Seeing the dragoon wasn't in any position to fight at the moment, Chrysta moved as close as she could to those she could only assume were members of the Returners. Cecil and Serah followed her lead.

The other soldiers also appeared to hesitate. While there were those who looked like they wanted to fight, many of them didn't dare to make a move. More than likely it was because of Cecil, whom they believed, was their true captain, like Biggs and Wedge felt.

"I think we should take advantage of their hesitation, and run," suggested one of the Returners.

"Just as well, I don't think I could fight them anyway," Wedge replied.

Everyone turned and quickly ran the way that they had come, but Rosa couldn't help looking back briefly. Chrysta found herself doing the same, and was confused over why they weren't following them. Instead, what she saw most of them do was get in the way of Kain and the other guards.

Could it be they also had a change of heart? She started to hope they would be okay, but had a sickening feeling in her stomach just thinking about it.

When they were far enough away, everyone stopped to catch their breath. One of the Returner members smiled as he looked at everyone. "Well, it looks like we managed to get away safely. We can rest for a little, but afterwards, we need to get moving as soon as possible."

Chrysta nodded and looked over toward Cecil. He wasn't badly wounded, but she didn't want it to get any worse. She moved closer to her him. "Are you okay?" she asked, realizing that she was echoing the same question that he asked her.

"Yeah," the dark knight murmured.

Chrysta felt a tinge of sympathy in her heart right then. She was still unhappy about his earlier lie, but even she could tell he was having a rough time of it. She remembered the fire spell she used earlier, then began to wonder if she knew any other spells. Like a healing spell of some sort.

As she wondered, the words flowed to her. She chanted them, and she noticed the look of surprise in Cecil's eyes, but she kept on going. She finished by softly saying "Cure," and a gentle light bathed the dark knight where he had been hit. It closed the wound, but it still left some blood in the area.

"You can cast Fire and Cure?" Cecil questioned, tilting his head. "You didn't have any spells before."

Chrysta shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the Crystal Core or something?" She tilted her head as well. "Was that man, Kain, a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, he used to be my best friend and rival," Cecil murmured.

The brunette was about to ask him about Rue, but she could tell from looking into his eyes that he needed a chance to collect himself. She knew he had his reasons, but she could find out later. She had a feeling that she would be around him for a while, and would have plenty of time to ask.

But she also was wondering why she had these spells when she didn't have them before. But the voice in her head told her that at the moment, these two spells were the only ones she knew.

**Author's Note: I'm not exactly sure why I thought Rosa was wearing yellow when I wrote this. I remember seeing her design in Theatrhytmn and I guess I somehow remembered a lot of yellow.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything in Final Fantasy.

"Please wait here," a man from the Returners said, giving the group a small smile. "I'll let Banon know you are here."

Chrysta watched as the young man went into the room, while checking her surroundings. They were in a cave that was quite spacious, lined with torches and other lights to allow people to see clearly. There was a table down the stairs, big enough to hold meetings. While she wasn't too keen on being in a cave, she knew she would rather be here than in Baron's clutches or the Empire's for that matter.

The walk to the hideout had been a pretty uneventful one, which everyone was thankful for. It seemed easier for Cecil, Biggs and Wedge so they wouldn't have to worry about fighting old friends. In Chrysta's case, it gave her time to think. And while she had time to ask her question, she wanted to wait for a better time.

Serah looked over at the other girl and noticed the look in her eyes. "You don't need to worry about a thing, Chrysta. You will be safe here."

"Hm?" Chrysta turned her gaze to her, snapping out of her thoughts. "Oh, I know. I'm not worried about that," she said softly. "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"That's understandable," Cecil replied with a nod of his head.

Their conversation was cut short when the man reappeared and held the door open for the group. "Banon will see you now. Please come in."

"Thank you," Serah said politely. She went in first, with Mog, Cecil and Chrysta following not long after.

The group had walked into another large room, with two bookshelves, a bed with a carpet underneath it and a couple pots were lying around. It was as though this room was like a bedroom at someone's home. Though to be fair, this hideout was probably home for many people right now.

Standing on the far side of the room was a man with wild sandy blonde hair with a mustache and beard. His clothes were mostly green and red in color, and had a cape as well. Despite the way he looked, Chrysta had a feeling like this guy could be trusted.

When he saw them coming, he gave them a smile. "Ah, Serah. I've heard that things have gone well and that the girl is saved."

"Yes," Serah said with a smile of her own. "I'd say that Cecil passed with flying colors as well."

Cecil looked at the pink haired girl and moogle in confusion, causing both of them to look guilty. "Sorry, we didn't mean to deceive you, kupo," Mog told him slowly.

"Don't blame them too harshly," the man went on as everyone returned their gaze to him. "I had the two spy on you. We just wanted to make sure that you truly meant what you said about not helping the King of Baron anymore."

"No, it is quite alright," Cecil replied with a shake of his head. "I had it coming considering what I did before."

_"He sure is taking it well,"_ Chrysta mused. _"It was the same from when I admitted I overheard him, Biggs and Wedge talking."_

The man turned to look at the brunette directly. "And you must be the girl then?"

"Yes, my name is Chrysta," she answered. "Unfortunately, I don't know much aside from what we found out earlier."

"And what did you find out?"

Serah took a small step forward. "What we found out is a little surprising, Banon," she told him. "From what we heard from a dragoon named Kain, the Crystal Core itself has fused with Chrysta."

"Fused with her you say?" Banon lowered his head and put a hand to his beard, stroking it in thought.

"That's what we heard, but we don't know what the means for her," Cecil went on.

There was silence for a moment as a thoughtful look appeared on the man's face. "Can't say that I know myself," he replied. "As everyone knows, the Crystal Core is said to be the ancestor of all crystals, and was the only one to remain after the other crystals vanished one by one. The Core itself was said to have been hidden away for some time."

Cecil looked saddened for a moment, but he quickly wiped the expression off of his face. "And as we later found out, it was in Mysidia, or at least deeper into the forest there."

Chrysta sighed, but was unable to say anything more. She was sort of hoping that maybe Banon would be able to answer some the questions she had, and yet it didn't seem like they were getting anywhere. While she did get a new piece of info, she began to wonder if she had known it before losing her memory. He did specifically say that it was something that everyone knew.

"Banon, please, if you know anything more, I would like to know," Chrysta said as she clasped her hands together. "I want to know what is so important about this. What is so important about the Crystal Core fusing with me and why do these people want me so much?"

Banon shook his head and walked over to the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you, but I'm afraid I don't know any more than you do," he told her gently. "Anyway, you look as though you should have some rest."

* * *

The room that Chrysta had been put into was much smaller, but she didn't mind it all that much. She was thankful for the bed, as that was all she really needed. Banon had suggested that she stay in this room to rest for a bit, probably from all of the walking that they had to do to get this far, even though it had taken a couple more days to get here.

While she sat on the edge of the bed, she puzzled over everything she knew up to this point. But no matter how hard she thought of it, she didn't have her answers. She knew this wasn't something she could just figure out on her own.

The only thing she could think of was to find a way to get back to Mysidia and maybe talk to the village elder. More than likely, he would have an idea to what was going on. From what she had been told, she assumed he was the most upset over her capture, since he seemed to know what would happen if they got their hands on her.

A knock on the door took her out of her thoughts, and a familiar voice called on the other side, "Chrysta?"

"Come in, Cecil!" she called back.

The door opened and the dark knight came into the room with his visor up. He gave the girl a look of concern. "Are you doing alright? I know you said you had a lot on your mind earlier."

"Yes, and I wanted to talk to you about something," Chrysta told him. She wasn't able to get things figured out about the Crystal Core, so she figured this was the best thing she could do.

"What is it?"

"It's about what happened in Mysidia. Why didn't you tell me about Rue?"

A look of surprise flickered in the young man's blue eyes for a brief moment. "You mean, you remember him?"

"Not much," Chrysta admitted, shaking her head. "What I do remember is that he was with me and I think he brought me to Mysidia, like he was guarding me or something. And I remember that he tried to protect me… from you."

Cecil winced slightly, and she knew she had struck a nerve. "I'm sorry. I didn't tell you because I knew how painful it was for you to lose him. And above all else, I knew that if you had any reason to hate me, it would be because I killed him. The sorrow in your eyes when you saw him fall…"

"So… you were just trying to protect me from that painful memory? Or was it so I wouldn't hate you?"

"Maybe a little of both," the dark knight admitted.

Chrysta lowered her head a moment, but then moved toward him a couple of steps. "I will be honest, I am upset that you didn't tell me about it. But, I do think I understand. That doesn't mean I like what you did though. Not just in lying, but also knowing you killed someone close to me."

"I don't ever expect to be forgiven for that," Cecil told her. "But let me protect you, like he tried to do for you. I promise that I won't let you in their grasp again."

"_You can trust him. And it isn't just Serah saying it either. You know you can trust him."_

Chrysta blinked for a moment. There was that thought again. Only this time instead of knowledge, it was telling her that she actually could put her trust in someone. The only question was, could she trust the thought in her head?

She didn't give herself much time to consider it. Instead, she nodded her head. "Okay, I think I can trust your word on that."

"Thank you," Cecil replied and was about to walk out the door. He paused for a moment and turned to face her again. "When did you remember him?"

"I had a dream about him. And when Kain was fighting you, I remembered that you killed him," she answered honestly.

"If that is the case, why did you save me then?"

Chrysta managed to smile and walked up to him. "Well, a couple reasons. I knew if I didn't I would have been captured again. But the main reason was that I knew you were protecting me and I couldn't bare having someone die protecting me but wasn't trying at the time."

Cecil smiled back but shook his head. "Yeah, I didn't help much there," he admitted slowly.

"I don't blame you though," Chrysta went on. "I probably would have had a similar reaction. I felt safe around Rue, I think. So, if he had betrayed me suddenly, I probably would have been as shocked as you felt."

Cecil nodded slowly before turning to look at the girl again. "That's true. But I think… I think that Kain is under someone's spell. He told me he would fight with us, not against us."

The brunette wondered as she heard that why he wasn't mentioning the king being under a spell as a possibility. Considering he was saying so about Kain, and yet he and his men kept saying that the king was acting oddly. Of course, it also could be that he didn't want to believe his good friend had betrayed him, and was trying to rationalize it by claiming he was under someone else's control.

Then again, she couldn't say what was the right answer. Not just because of her memory, but for all she knew, what happened to the king and what happened to Kain could have been two entirely different things. It was something to consider.

But right now, she was tired of thinking of things she had no answer to.

"It's possible," she agreed after a moment of silence.

Cecil sighed a little before turning around again. He walked out of the room, but it didn't take him long to notice that he wasn't exactly alone. He glanced over his shoulder to see that the girl was following him.

Knowing that she was seen, Chrysta just gave him a smile. "I figure we could both use some company right now."

"That's not a bad idea," Cecil agreed, returning the gesture. "I won't be seeing Rosa for a while since I hear she is training some people in the art of White Magic. As for Serah, I don't know where she went to."

"Which leaves you and me," Chrysta said as she walked up to stand beside the dark knight.

"Seems so," he agreed.

The two walked around the Returners hideout for a little bit, and trying to take their minds of their troubles, were trying to find different things to talk about. It started with both of them wondering why the Returners selected a cave as their hideout and the conversation went from there.

Some of the Returners who saw them walk by seemed to smile at the pair. The duo happened to notice this and wondered what the smiles were for. Could it be because the two were actually getting along, despite the earlier chance of getting off on the wrong foot?

"Chrysta! I heard you were here!"

Chrysta had only enough time to kneel down as a young girl with green hair ran into her arms and wrapped her in a hug. She looked down at the child, who gazed back up at her with her green eyes sparkling. Out of anyone she had seen so far, this girl looked the most familiar to her, but she wasn't sure how that could be the case.

When she had stared as Serah during her rescue, the reason she had for it was because she looked familiar to her, even though it was only the first time that they had met. In Cecil's case, she knew why he was familiar was because he had admitted to capturing her. She didn't know Kain or Rosa, but she had the same feeling seeing them like she had seen them, like Serah and even Mog.

And now this girl too?

Cecil allowed himself a small chuckle. "Oh, you know Chrysta, Rydia?"

Rydia released the brunette to look at the dark knight. She nodded at him, but her smile was kept firmly in place. "Yes. She was at Mist for a while before she left with Rue."

As soon as the young child mentioned that, Chrysta was reminded about Mist, or what she heard of it. During the walk here, she learned that, to their knowledge, only one person survived the attack on Mist, and that was a small child. The people of Mist were summoners, and one of them died trying to stop Cecil and Kain from reaching their village by summoning a Mist Dragon. Apparently,summoners and the creatures they summon can have a pretty strong connection, and when the Mist Dragon was killed, it was enough to kill the summoner as well.

And that summoner was the child's mother. Putting two and two together, the brunette realized that Rydia lost her mother in the attack, and who knows how many others. She had a feeling that she hated Cecil right then, or at the very least didn't like him very much.

Chrysta tried to get back her feet, but she gasped when she felt a wave of energy in her body. Rydia gasped and looked toward the older girl, while Cecil asked her if she was all right. Many members of the Returners came toward the group to see what was going on.

"W… what's happening to me?" Chrysta gasped.

"_Concentrate. Put your hand to your heart and focus."_

The brunette didn't know what the voice was talking about, and yet followed the instructions anyway. Something told her she had to do it. If she wanted the energy to go away, then she had to. The only thing she did that she wasn't told to do was that she had balled her hand into a fist.

Even though she didn't know what she was supposed to focus on, she did so with all of her might. In doing so, she felt some relief flood over her, which caused her to relax more and more. The feeling inside of her faded when she felt something smooth resting in the palm of her closed fist.

"Chrysta! What's wrong?" Rydia asked with worry.

Chrysta groaned and shook her head slowly, looking up at everyone. While she didn't like being surrounded like this, she could tell that everyone was just concerned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry everyone like that. I don't know what happened."

She slowly rose to her feet and as she did so, she remembered the item that she was holding. Wondering what it could be, she turned her fist so her palm was upward, and then uncurled her fingers. Doing this caused everyone around her to gasp.

"What is it?" Rydia asked.

"Could it be?" asked one man.

"But they disappeared didn't they?" questioned another.

"I think it is," Chrysta said slowly, and she was just as surprised as everyone else was. The item in her hand was a smooth, clear crystal. One that she was sure she created.

Was this the power of the Crystal Core?

The crystal in her hand let out a soft light, and she could hear the talk around her saying that Banon had to see this.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything in Final Fantasy.

Chrysta was just as surprised as the others about the crystal appearing in her hand. It was because of this that she didn't even resist when those around her were pushing her back to Banon's room. One member had gone ahead to let the leader know that something had happened.

The next thing she knew for sure was that she was standing in front of Banon, allowing the man to look over the crystal resting in her palm. He seemed curious as he reached forward to touch the crystal, yet some instinct inside of her caused her to curl her fingers around it. Chrysta didn't understand why she did that, but the man didn't pry and instead pulled his hand away.

The brunette slowly uncurled her fingers again so they could all get a look at the crystal. "Where did that crystal come from?" Banon asked thoughtfully.

"I think it came from me, somehow," Chrysta answered slowly. "Not long ago, it felt like some energy had gone around me. I concentrated the energy I felt, and it turned into this crystal. I think it is because of the Crystal Core though, but I can't say for sure."

"Hm, that is interesting," Banon mused as he once again stroked his beard. "I've never heard of anything like this before."

"Neither have I," Cecil agreed. "However, most people don't know that much about the Crystal Core. If anyone knew, I would say that the Mysidians have a better grasp of it."

"I was thinking I would like to talk to the Elder about it," Chrysta piped up. "I figure right now if anyone could answer our questions, it would be him."

"Meaning you would want to travel to Mysidia," Banon guessed. He turned around slowly, putting his hands behind his back and lowered his head. "I don't know if that is such a smart idea at this point. Those of Baron and the Empire are more than likely looking for you as we speak."

The girl wanted to protest but bit back her words as quickly as she was able. She knew he had a point. As much as she wanted to see the Elder again to get her answers, she didn't want to be captured by the enemy. Considering what had happened, that was the last thing she wanted to do right now.

"You need not fear," Banon went on as he turned back to face her and Cecil. "They do not know where the hideout is and you are perfectly safe here. I'll see if I can find a way where we can speak to the Elder, but for now, you need to stay here."

Chrysta nodded her head in agreement. She figured that was the best she was going to get right now. Arguing wouldn't change things and she knew that. "That's fine, I guess," she said slowly.

"Good." Banon gave the girl a small smile. "Just take your time and rest."

Chrysta allowed herself to smile a little as well before she followed Cecil out of the room. The members of the Returners questioned her about the crystal, and whether or not any answers had come, but Cecil was quick to quiet them. Rydia, who had also been left out, quickly followed behind the two back to the brunette's room.

Once the door was closed behind them, Chrysta sat down on her bed with a sigh. Rydia curiously walked up to the girl. "Can I see it?" she asked. "Can I see the crystal?"

The brunette smiled as she handed over the small crystal into the child's outstretched hands. She was still confused over why she kept it away from Banon like that. She didn't see any harm in Rydia taking a closer look at it.

"Wow!" she gasped, her green eyes shining. "It's really pretty!"

"Yes, it is," Cecil agreed. "We hope to get our answers when we talk to the Elder of Mysidia. I'm sure Banon will make the proper arrangements for us to see him."

Rydia turned to face the dark knight. "Wouldn't it be better if you didn't see him though?" she asked, more seriously than the other girl would have thought.

"I suppose," Cecil remarked slowly.

"What if I said that after what happened that you rescued me?" Chrysta inquired as she rose from the bed. "I know you still blame yourself for what happened before, but Mog is right. If it wasn't for you, I would still be a prisoner, Cecil."

"I'm not sure," the dark knight replied. "I'm sure they would trust you, but considering I personally led the attack against them, I can see most of them being against me."

Rydia looked between the two for a moment. "Don't worry!" she said with confidence. "I'm sure everything will work out just fine!"

Even though the words had come from a child, there was still something very reassuring about them. Chrysta allowed herself to smile again as she looked down at the green haired girl. "You're right, Rydia."

* * *

Five days had passed since then. Aside from the incident with the appearing crystal, not much happened. Rydia had been told about Chrysta's amnesia, and while she was sad about it, Serah was quick to reassure the child that her memory would come back. Those words comforted her, and Rydia did her best to remind the brunette about Mist, her mother and the young man named Rue.

Every now and then she would ask Banon about the Elder of Mysidia, but every time she did, he told her pretty much the same things. Either that it was too soon, or a plan had yet to be formed. She never told the man outright, but it frustrated her.

Chrysta slowly shook her head and stuffed the crystal she held into the pocket of her dress. It was a very simple pink dress that was given to her a couple days ago. It was true that she felt much safer there, and being around everyone made her feel more at ease. But now she wasn't getting much of anything. If she had any dreams she didn't remember them clearly, and the voice she had been hearing in her head had been silent.

"I'm not even going to ask Banon about the Elder," she murmured. "I feel like I'm getting nowhere with that anyway."

Deciding she didn't want to be alone right then, she got to her feet and exited her room. As she moved around, people acknowledged her by nodding, waving or calling her name. There were a couple who grumbled, and she figured that they just didn't like her much. At least, that was what she was hoping for. At worst, they could think she was with the enemy.

"Chrysta!" Rydia's familiar voice called out to her. She looked in front of her just in time to see the green haired girl coming in her direction.

"Hello, Rydia," Chrysta said back to the girl, allowing a smile to cross her face. "How are you doing?" She noticed that her question held a tinge of worry. It had to be hard on the child to not only have her village taken from her, but having to live in this cave couldn't be a pleasant feeling for her.

"I'm doing okay," Rydia answered, giving the brunette her best reassuring smile. "How about you? Is your memory back yet?"

"No," Chrysta answered with a shake of her head. "Thank you for worrying about me though."

It wasn't just Rydia, she knew. There were many others that seemed concerned for her well being. She was grateful that there were others that cared about her. At the same time though, she knew she couldn't just stand around. She was going to do her best to help.

"Are you going to see Banon?" Rydia suddenly asked, taking the older girl out of her thoughts.

"Not right now, I'll probably get the same reply I always have," Chrysta answered, shaking her head again. "I know he is trying his best though, but it is taking a while."

"Oh, Chrysta, there you are," a familiar voice said behind the girl. The brunette jumped a little bit and looked over her shoulder, seeing Serah standing behind her with Mog floating nearby. She could hear Rydia giggling, possibly due to her reaction. "You should come with me. We are going to see Banon."

"Why?" Chrysta questioned, tilting her head. "Has he figured out a way to see the Elder?"

"Not as far as I know, but you really should come with me," Serah insisted. "We need to find Cecil as well."

Though confused, Chrysta followed after the other girl, wondering what this could be about. On the way to Baron's room, they found the dark knight, and Serah was quick to make sure he was coming with them. Neither of them knew what was going on, but it was clear that it had to be important.

"What's gotten into Serah?" Rydia whispered to the brunette.

"I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out shortly," Chrysta answered. She knew that the child wasn't going to be allowed in, which did bother the young girl, but the brunette quickly thought to herself that she would tell the girl later.

Serah didn't even bother to wait. Much to everyone's surprise, she simply opened the door to Banon's room and allowed herself inside. Chrysta and Cecil were quick to follow. When Banon saw the three of them coming in, he didn't even appear all that surprised. Or, if he did, he hid it very well.

"I was wondering if you were going to show up," Banon replied as he looked at the three. "I'm sure you know then about soldiers of the Empire making their way to Narshe."

"Yes," Serah answered slowly while Cecil nodded. This was the first time Chrysta had heard of it, but decided it was best to keep her mouth shut on the matter.

"They are trying to get their hands on the frozen Esper that was found in their mines recently," the Returner leader told the group. "We need to stop them before that happens."

"Esper?" Chrysta repeated. The term sounded familiar, yet for some reason she couldn't place it and the voice she was hearing didn't answer.

"Ah, so you don't remember them either," Banon murmured. "Espers are what we call those creatures that summoners can call on. The Espers have long since hidden themselves from the humans however, and only really respond to a summoner's call. The Empire seems to have an interest in these creatures, but we don't know why this is the case."

The brunette could accept that information, yet for some reason, it also seemed to clash with something. She couldn't explain what, but something about that information just felt wrong, she just didn't know what. She quickly gave up however, deciding that it wasn't worth arguing over when she couldn't remember anyway.

"How did an Esper end up in the mines though if they have gone into hiding?" Cecil asked, not knowing he also voiced one question that Chrysta had.

Banon shrugged his shoulders. "Who can say for sure? Not that it matters at this point. Someone needs to go and stop them from getting their hands on the Esper."

"I can go if that is okay." Everyone turned their heads to the dark knight, who didn't even flinch. "I think I could be useful with my dark sword."

"I'm going with you!" Chrysta didn't know why she was quick to say what she did, but for some reason she just felt that it would be better if they were together.

"I think you should stay here," Cecil told the brunette. "It is safer here and you know the Empire is after you as well."

"True, but I think you should take her with you," Serah said with a smile. Her words seemed to surprise the other girl as well as the dark knight. Chrysta had to admit that Cecil did have a point, and yet even Serah was saying she should go?

"If Serah says it, I have no objections," Banon told the two. His words surprised them, since he had been pretty insistent that Chrysta should stay there as well. "You should prepare today and get ready to set out tomorrow."

* * *

"Narshe, huh?" Cecil murmured to himself. He sat at the edge of his bed and looked up at the cave ceiling above his head. He had heard of the village and the mines that surrounded it. It was a place that was almost always covered in snow, and if it was that cold, that could explain how even an Esper could be frozen there.

He wasn't too worried about himself. He had taken plenty of missions beforehand, and he believed that he could handle this one without any problems. And yet, he didn't expect to take Chrysta along with him. At first, he had been against her coming along, only because he knew it was safer where they were right now. He only relented when Serah and Banon insisted that she could go too.

He wondered for a moment what this mission was going to be like. At least he was actually doing this to help others, instead of harming innocent people.

"Cecil?"

The dark knight looked ahead of him upon hearing his name and discovered that Rosa had let herself into his room. He didn't mind this as she did this even back at Baron Castle, so he was used to it. "Rosa," he whispered.

"Cecil, I hear you are on your way to Narshe," Rosa said as she approached.

"Yes," the dark knight answered. "I'm going with Chrysta in order to stop the Empire from getting their hands on an Esper that was found there."

"Chrysta, the girl you helped capture and then rescue," the blonde said softly.

"I told her she should stay here," Cecil went on. "Yet, she wanted to go, and even Serah and Banon said she could. Banon even promised Chrysta that he would find a way to bring the Elder of Mysidia here while we are away."

"You will be careful, won't you?" Rosa suddenly asked.

"Of course, you don't need to worry," Cecil quickly assured her.

His words caused a relieved smile to cross the girl's face. "You better get some rest then. I know you'll be leaving early tomorrow." She started to walk off, but paused for a moment, thinking to herself how much different the dark knight seemed.

Back at the castle, he had been upset at Chrysta's capture and the deaths of some of the Mysidians, that in her mind he was sort of whimpering about it, which she felt wasn't like him at all. And while it still seemed to linger in his mind from time to time, he was doing what he could to make things right now. And that was what she had been hoping for.

"Good night," she said as she walked out the door closing it behind her.

Cecil managed a smile of his own, repeating the words, wondering if the girl even heard them.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

Vicks reviewed the briefing in his head, to make sure he didn't misunderstand anything. He had done this several times over the past couple of days. An Esper, whom they had heard was frozen, was recently found in the mining village of Narshe. Since this Esper was new, and they didn't have it, or so they believed, he was being sent to retrieve it, along with another soldier named Pierre, and that girl.

The Imperial Soldier turned to look at her for a moment. Even now, he couldn't see the light in her eyes. It was though it had dulled, and like she was in some sort of trance. Something had been placed on her head, known as a Slave Crown, which would make her do whatever they commanded her to do. While Vicks himself wasn't so sure of the girl being there at first, his partner reminded him of the crown's effects, as though to assure him that they had nothing to worry about.

His mind wandered for a moment as he remembered a mission that recently didn't go so well. He had only heard about that girl that they were supposed to get, but he had never seen her directly. However, due to some problems on Baron's end, the girl had managed to escape. Those who were sent to retrieve her helped in the search, but they didn't have any luck in finding her either.

Not that it mattered because if all went according to plan, she would be in their hands again soon enough. And when that happened, he was sure what fate would befall her.

"I see Narshe over the horizon!" Pierre called to his fellow.

Vicks nodded as he stopped pulling the levers, causing his Magitek Armor to slow to a stop. Pierre followed suit, and the girl did so when one of the guards commanded her. Their destination was finally in sight, and their target was bound to be somewhere there.

"I'm sure I don't have to remind you why we are here," Vicks said as he looked to the other soldier. "So, let's get that frozen Esper, shall we?" He turned his attention to the girl. "We shouldn't take any risks, so the girl will take point."

It wasn't just because they had control of the girl that he said this. While true that all three of them were in Magitek Armor, machines that were made specifically by the Empire and infused with magical power, only the girl could tap into the power of the machines to bring out their full potential. Vicks wasn't sure why this was the case, but he never thought to question it. He didn't see the need to.

Pierre seemed to agree with Vicks, and quickly ordered the girl ahead of them. And with no emotions and complaints, as she was incapable of either, she did as she was told to do.

* * *

While the cave was nice and safe, Chrysta had to admit that she was thankful for the fresh air outside of it. She had remembered when she left the hideout with Cecil that one of the first things she did was take in a big gulp of air, just because she could. She even managed to joke about it, as she said out with the bad air, and in with the good.

She took in another deep breath, and sighed happily. Despite the fact that she still couldn't remember her past, she was feeling a little better about things. But every time she thought about why they left the hideout, it made her worry even more and her smile wilted to a frown.

Cecil took notice, but didn't bother asking her why. He had done so earlier in their trip, so he knew what the problem was. It had to do with the frozen Esper and what would happen if they got their hold on it. And he had to admit that it wasn't a pleasant thought.

In the days they had come to get this far, the two knew the urgency of their mission. But thankfully, they knew they were not going to be alone. Banon made sure that a carrier pigeon had been sent to someone who was outside of the hideout at the time, who would help them out.

"I wonder where he is?" Chrysta suddenly asked. She looked around the forested area, which according to Cecil, these woods were the closest to Narshe. "We are getting closer, aren't we?"

"Yes. I think we should be meeting him soon though," the dark knight answered.

The duo looked to each other for the moment and went even deeper into the woods. Seeing all those trees around them felt very familiar to the girl, and she felt she knew why. Even though she had been in other forests before, according to what she had heard, Mysidia was in a forest too. And she had no idea how long she had been there either.

"Hey! You two are Cecil and Chrysta, right?"

Chrysta was taken out of her thoughts once more as she and the dark knight looked over toward the one who spoke. A young man stood leaning against a tree, and using his left foot against the tree to support him. He had light brown hair that could be seen under his blue patterned bandanna, and brown eyes. He wore a white shirt, a blue vest and blue trousers.

"Yes, we are," Cecil answered for them. "And you must be Locke. We heard about you."

"You're a thief, right?" The moment that Chrysta asked this question, she saw the smile leave the other man's face. He looked slightly annoyed, but quickly wiped it off of his expression.

"I prefer the term 'treasure hunter,'" the man named Locke corrected.

"Sorry," Chrysta apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"It's okay," Locke told her as he pushed himself away from the tree. "I just get tired of it since everyone calls me that."

Chrysta nodded in understanding, while ignoring the familiar feeling she was getting. While she still didn't understand it, she knew that it was no good worrying about it. After all, that wouldn't help with her memories, nor would it help her do what they came here for.

"Anyway, we need to get moving if we want to stop the Empire," Locke went on. "Come on and I will show you the way."

"Thank you," Cecil said politely.

Locke nodded and smiled as he turned around and took the lead. For a moment, silence hung in the air, aside from the sounds of the forest, and the sound of water could be heard coming from the east. For the briefest moment, Chrysta wondered why they didn't use a raft to come to Narshe from the hideout. As before, she had no idea where the thought came from, and quickly pushed it to the side.

Locke suddenly slowed in his steps, allowing the other two to catch up to him. Once they did, he matched their speed, and looked over at Chrysta. "I've heard some things about you. About how you were captured along with the Crystal Core."

The girl looked at him, about to ask him how he could know, but he quickly held up his hand. "It was in the message I got," he answered honestly. "I was told that the Crystal Core fused with you for some reason, which can allow you to make crystals. And you are being sought after by both Baron and the Gestahlian Empire."

"Something like that," Chrysta said slowly. "There are many things that I don't understand, and it doesn't help that I don't remember much of anything prior to my rescue."

"Amnesia?" Locke questioned looking shocked and concerned.

"Yeah," Chrysta murmured. "Serah keeps saying my memory will come back, but…"

"Don't worry about a thing!" Locke quickly told the girl. "You will be safe with me around! I promise you that!"

Chrysta looked back to the brown haired man with surprise in her eyes. How could he say something like that when he didn't even know her that well? In Cecil's case, she could understand why he would want to protect her, considering what he had done before. But what reason would Locke have to want to protect her?

Cecil was also curious about the 'treasure hunter's' reasons for saying what he did. However, he could tell that there was a good reason for it, and figured that if they needed to know, he would tell them. For now, they had more important matters to attend to.

* * *

According to the rumors, the frozen Esper was found in a mineshaft that was actually quite new. Soldiers from Narshe, as well as their dogs, tried to stop the Imperials, but they were no match for their Magitek Armor. The girl's especially, since she could shoot more than just those magical beams.

With no other guards to stop their advance, the Imperial Guards made their way into the mines. Lights could be seen, alongside some tracks, and a couple pickaxes could be seen lying around. After making their way further into the mines without any trouble, something that looked like a gate stood in their way.

"I'll handle this," Vicks told the two and ordered them to stay back. He backed up a couple of steps himself, then used the armor itself to smash into the obstacle, causing it to fall backwards. They could hear some surprised shouts from the inside, indicating that they were not exactly alone.

The soldiers of Narshe, in a last ditch effort, brandished their weapons and attacked. But it really wasn't much of a fight. A couple fire beams, bolt beams and even a Magitek Missile ended things pretty quickly. The people of Narshe were no match for them.

With nothing left to stand in their way, Vicks, Pierre and the girl made their way to the back of the shaft. To the surprise of the soldiers, there was something there. It reminded them of a huge bird, and whatever it was, it was definitely encased in ice. It had to be the Esper!

Suddenly, it started to glow. Vicks and Pierre looked around in confusion, wondering what was going on. For the briefest instant, a small light seemed to shine in the girl's eyes, yet it seemed to die quickly. Without being commanded to, she moved toward the frozen Esper, though whether it was from her own accord or the Esper itself was unknown.

"Something is not right here," Pierre murmured, suddenly appearing nervous. It was difficult to tell sometimes what the other soldiers were thinking, since they were usually covered from head to toe in armor. Whether it was brown, light green or black didn't matter much.

The glow turned into an eerie blue light, which caused the two soldiers to disappear with horrified cries, leaving only the girl behind. The girl only managed to back up a couple of steps, before the Esper stopped her with another glow.

Despite being frozen, it was as though it was staring at her directly. It was like lightning bolts went in between the two, which in the end caused the Magitek Armor to short circuit. It seemed too much for it to handle, and with a gasp, as though the crown failed for a brief moment, she fell backwards, and her world went black.

**Author's Notes: When I wrote this chapter, I realized I already had a Biggs and Wedge and tried to figure out what to do. Vicks was easy, as that was the translation that was used in the translated Super Nintendo version of 6. Pierre was a little more difficult. What I ended up doing was using the name that was used in Chrono Trigger, as it should be Vicks, Wedge and Pierre.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

The closer the trio got to Narshe, the cooler the air became. Cecil seemed fine due to his armor, and Locke didn't seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn't show it at all. However, Chrysta was doing her best not to shiver.

Her companions took notice, and Locke was quick to offer the girl something that should help keep her warmer. He had a light blue shawl that he was more than willing to give her. She accepted it and was thankful that it was a little heavier to protect her from the cold. They also kept on the move, hoping that doing so would keep them warmed up.

The sun was high in the sky when they finally reached Narshe. There were many homes, and even things that looked like heaters near certain areas, with steam coming out of the top. Locke had told the two that the people of Narshe were more of a neutral village, or so they claimed at least. However, with the Empire coming for them at the moment, they would have to at least try to protect themselves.

When they got there, they expected some of their guards to be on the defensive, but they didn't see anything like that. "This is strange," Cecil murmured thoughtfully. "You would think they would at least be taking up arms. If we got word of the attack, surely they did as well."

"Yeah, that puzzles me too," Chrysta agreed, nodding her head slowly. Since they had stopped walking, she was rubbing her hands over her arms, hoping it would help keep her warm.

Locke looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded his head. "I think we should talk to Arvis."

"Arvis?" Cecil questioned.

"Another member of the Returners?" Chrysta inquired at the same time. She wouldn't have normally said this, but she heard the voice in her head again.

"Yes, that's right," Locke said, looking in the girl's direction. "He should know what is going on here."

"If Narshe is neutral, why is he with the Returners?" Cecil wondered aloud as the other man started to lead the way.

"We all have our reasons," the self-proclaimed treasure hunter remarked. "He has been trying to get them to join us, but he hasn't been having any luck."

Locke led the two through a couple roads and passed some buildings before he came to a stop at one of the homes near the far right side of the village. The young man knocked on the door, calling Arvis' name. At first there was no response, so he was about to do it again.

Before he could, the door opened slowly. The three exchanged glances before allowing themselves inside. Chrysta was instantly grateful as the warm air greeted them, as though telling them it was okay to seek shelter from the cold here.

Locke closed the door behind them, and was about to speak, before he heard a nearby chuckle. "Took you long enough. Did you take some time to steal anything on the way here?"

Chrysta and Cecil looked to one another and smiled, knowing exactly what was coming. Sure enough, the same annoyed expression crossed their companion's face as he looked over to the man who happened to be standing right behind him. "I keep telling you, I prefer the term treasure hunting."

The dark knight's smile remained firmly in place as he put a hand on his companion's shoulder. "He's probably just saying that to get a rise out of you. You should probably ignore that comment."

"But there is a huge difference," Locke protested.

"I think we can worry about this later," Cecil told him, before looking at the man. "You are Arvis, right? With the Returners?"

"Yes, I am," the man replied, nodding his head. "And you are here to protect the Esper, but you don't need to worry about that."

"Did something happen?" Chrysta asked curiously.

"You could say that. Some people from the Empire showed up. They were in these machines that are referred to as Magitek Armor." As he spoke, he motioned to a machine right behind him. The cockpit was only big enough to seat one, and had two arms and legs. And it was also pretty huge, making them wonder how he got it inside. Also, why would this man have something from the Empire if he was a member of the Returners? "There wasn't much anyone could do, but they tried their hardest. The town medic is doing what he can to make sure everyone is okay, but I know there has been some casualties."

Cecil sighed a little bit sadly. "So, we didn't make it in time then."

"That may be true, but there is more," Arvis said quickly. "They reached the Esper sure, but they didn't leave with it. No one knows what happened to the soldiers and well…" He trailed off for a moment before motioning to the group to follow him. No one argued and walked with him down the hall and through the door of a nearby room.

The room looked comfortable, and had things in it that were to be expected, like a bed, a shelf and a rug. However, there was someone already using the bed. It was a girl with long blonde hair in a ponytail, with a pink bow and yellow polka dots at the base.

"That girl was with the Empire, but you shouldn't blame her," Arvis told them before any of them had a chance to speak. "They were using this girl, and forcing her to work for them, but I don't know why." He walked over to the nearby shelf and removed what appeared to be something silver that could be worn on the head. It was almost like a circlet, but it was also like a band that could go around the head.

"What is that?" Chrysta asked softly, but almost as soon as she did, she knew it was something she didn't want to hear the answer to.

"This is a Slave Crown," Arvis replied grimly. "The Empire had complete control over her while she was wearing it. I hear that the wearer no longer has thoughts of their own and any feelings they may have would be very subdued."

The brunette shivered again, only this time it wasn't from the cold. Cecil, immediately guessing to what the girl was thinking, turned to look at the older man. "Do they have more of these 'crowns.'"

"Yes, they do," Arvis answered, before looking toward the dark knight. "Why?"

"Because they would have used it on me," Chrysta said weakly.

Before Arvis could ask what she meant, the sound of moaning could be heard coming from the bed. The group turned and saw the girl slowly sit up. She held her head as she pulled the covers off of her body, revealing her mostly red outfit with a pink sash tied to her waist. She started to stumble out of the bed, causing Cecil to quickly rush forward and grab her before she fell.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked her.

"M… my head hurts," the blonde groaned. It was clear from the look in her blue eyes that she was scared, but of what they couldn't be certain.

"Easy, I just removed this from your head only a few minutes ago," Arvis explained as he showed the girl the Slave Crown. He quickly put it away as he told the other girl exactly what he had said only a moment ago.

After a moment of silence, the blonde was able to stay standing without support. A look of worry appeared on her features as she lowered her head. "I don't remember anything," she murmured.

"What? You don't remember anything either?" Chrysta asked as she approached.

"You too?" the girl asked, looking more curious than surprised.

"Yeah, I don't know a lot about my past," the brunette quickly admitted. While it was true she had some bits and pieces, she knew it wasn't much to go on, and a lot of her past was still a mystery to her. She knew exactly how the other girl felt, and understood if she was scared or concerned.

Hearing Chrysta's confession caused the other girl to calm down a little bit. After shaking her head to clear out the cobwebs, something surfaced. "My name… is Tina," she said slowly.

"_Tina? Not Terra?"_ It was difficult to tell if the voice was confused by the girl's name, or if it was merely curious. Not that Chrysta could understand anyway, because how in the world would she be able to question what her name was?

Unless of course she had known Tina like she had for Rydia and Cecil before losing her memory. But if that was the case, then why would she have questioned if her name was Terra?

"Wow, that is impressive!" Arvis exclaimed, looking more relieved than he did a little while ago, not even noticing the brunette's confusion. "I've never heard of anyone recovering as quickly as you just did!"

"Recovering?" Tina repeated curiously.

"From the affects of the crown," the man went on with a smile. Then his face suddenly became serious. "I don't have time to explain though, but you really need to get out of here. The people here believe that she is really with the Empire. They will more than likely find out that I was the one to hide her."

"We're not just going to leave her though!" Locke piped up, looking determined.

Arvis gave the young man an understanding look. "I never said you had to," he commented. "It would probably be better if you were all together anyway. You just need to get away from here."

"_Figaro Castle. Go to Figaro Castle, Chrysta."_

Chrysta blinked and shook her head. Even from all the times before, and even just recently, she still wasn't used to hearing that voice in her head. Only this time, it was almost a pull of some sort. Like something within her knew she had to be there.

"Something wrong, Chrysta?" Locke asked her, tilting his head.

"Well, it is nothing wrong, exactly," the brunette answered slowly, tugging on the pink sleeve of her dress. "But, I feel like we should go to Figaro Castle."

"You know, that isn't a bad idea," Arvis said, giving the girl a smile and a nod. "I know you need to get back to the hideout, but it would be a good idea to let the king know what is going on."

"I agree," Locke replied with a nod of his head. "That and I know him, so getting an audience with him won't even be an issue."

Just then, barking could be heard outside. Arvis and the group left the room and into the hall just as they could hear the pounding at the door. "Open up! Give us the girl and that Magitek Armor!"

"Seems as though they found you," Cecil said quietly.

Arvis ran his hand through his light brown hair and turned to look at the group. "We don't have much time. There is a back door in the room we just left. Use that to escape through a nearby mineshaft."

"But what about…?" Tina started to ask, but she wasn't able to finish what she was saying when the pounding outside continued.

"You better give the girl up! She is an officer of the Empire!"

"Just go! Quickly!" The urgency in Arvis' voice caused the four to retreat back into the other room without a word.

They were silent as they made their way to the door. Cecil got there first and he opened it, letting himself out into the cool air again. Chrysta, Tina and finally Locke quickly followed after him. The path before them was only wide enough for them to walk in a straight line.

Chrysta looked over her shoulder briefly and could see that Tina's expression of nervousness returned. She understood why and wanted to comfort her, but knew that they had to remain on the move, and be as silent as possible.

It was just when the group was walking over a bridge that seemed to lead to the mines from Arvis' house that they could hear yelling voices. Everyone looked toward the speakers, and it turned out to be some soldiers who were below them.

"We need to move quickly, they have seen us," Cecil advised and picked up the pace. The others followed his lead, especially Tina who seemed to have a lot of energy for only seeming to stumble out of that bed earlier.

"_Arvis is right. Tina has seemed to recover quickly. Almost like a lizard's tail,"_ Chrysta thought to herself. Even though she wasn't sure where the 'lizard's tail' part of her thought came from, she knew it was her own.

They soon entered the nearby mineshaft, but even there, they knew they weren't really safe. The people of Narshe knew their mines better than they did. Unless they could find a way out, they were going to be found.

The mines were a little more spacious, allowing the group to spread a little, but they still remained pretty close together. They moved carefully, but kept their earlier pace. All of them were on edge, like they were anticipating a fight, but none of them really wanted it.

The torches provided their only light, but thankfully it was enough to see where they were going. Even then, it did very little to calm their nerves. If Cecil was nervous, he was doing his best not to show it, however.

The group paused when they heard a man's voice, which sounded like it was right in front of them. "They have to be around her somewhere."

"They can't be too far ahead," added another voice, sounding confident.

"Oh, wonderful," Locke said softly in a sarcastic tone. "This is exactly what we need."

"Kupo?"

The source of the new voice came to their left. As they looked over to see who had spoken, a secret passageway seemed to open before them. A moogle appeared in the open pathway and motioned them in with his paw.

Deciding it was better to wait to ask their questions, the group rushed inside. The moogle pushed what appeared to be a little button in the wall, and closed the passageway behind them. At first, Chrysta thought that the moogle before them was Mog, only it couldn't be. The pom-pom was more round shaped, which was her main clue that they were not the same at all.

Wordlessly, the group followed after the moogle, as keeping quiet was probably in their best interest. Similar to the rest of the mines, there were torches around to allow them to see. As they walked in silence, all they could do was hope the ones that were following them didn't know about this pathway.

After a while of walking, the group found themselves in a much bigger area of the mines. And in that area was a lot more moogles! Their pom-poms and wings were a variety of different colors, from pink, to yellow, to red and even green. The difference in color made it easier to tell them apart.

All of the moogles turned and looked over at the incoming group. "Kupo!" all of the moogles greeted, waving their paws.

"Welcome to our home, kupo," their rescuer went on with a comforting smile. "We could hear the commotion and wanted to help, kupo."

Seeing all of the moogles around caused Tina's face to instantly light up. As though she couldn't control herself, she rushed toward the nearest one, this one with a blue pom-pom with wings to match. She knelt down and scooped him into her arms and cuddled him.

"Hey, careful with the fur, kupo!" the surprised moogle exclaimed.

Chrysta couldn't help giggling at the sight. Deep inside, she knew she loved these little guys too, and seeing Tina holding one like that and even fluffing the fur was such a cute sight. She knew the moogle wasn't being hurt, he was just surprised was all.

"Anyway, you can rest here for a bit and then use the secret passage to get out of here," said the moogle who found them. "We know you need to get out of here as quickly as possible. But a quick rest wouldn't hurt, kupo."

"It seems to be doing Tina some good," Chrysta said with a smile as she continued to look at the other girl. "She looks so much better than she did earlier."

"Yes, it appears so," Cecil agreed with a nod of his head.

"Hey, how did you know to help us anyway?" Locke asked curiously.

All of the moogles, even the one held by Tina, gave mysterious smiles and spoke in unison, "That is a moogle secret, kupo!"

They had no idea how long they were there, but after playing around with the moogles, Tina seemed to pause in worry. Almost as though she was waiting for something, only looking relieved that it wasn't coming at all. The others couldn't tell what was bothering the girl, and even the moogles didn't know why her mood seemed to shift once again.

Not wanting to overstay their welcome, the group decided it was best to leave. One of the moogles opened up another secret passage. Before they left, Chrysta found herself walking right next to Tina. "You don't need to worry. I understand why you are, but we are here for you now, Tina. We won't let anything happen to you."

"Thank you," the blonde answered slowly.

"_Go to Figaro Castle, Chrysta,"_ the voice in her head told her again.

"I know," the brunette murmured under her breath.

"What was that, Chrysta?" Cecil inquired looking at the girl with curious eyes that was hidden under his visor.

"Oh, nothing," Chrysta said quickly. She didn't want to let anyone know about the voices. She was sure they wouldn't believe her.

Cecil wasn't convinced, but decided that if something was bothering her, she would let them know eventually when she was ready. "If we are ready, then let's go!"

**Author's Note: While I know that Tina's name is actually Terra in English, there is a reason why I chose to use the name Tina. The biggest one is so that way we can't say that everything is the same. It's also one of the few times I actually prefer her Japanese name.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

Banon stroked his beard a little as he wondered how things were going. He had yet to receive word on the status of the situation. Was the frozen Esper still in Narshe, or was it in the Empire's hands? Is Chrysta still with Cecil and Locke?

While the leader of the Returners wasn't quite so sure, he had a feeling on who would be. After all, if she didn't suggest what she did earlier, he wouldn't have allowed Chrysta to leave the hideout. He figured that she must have seen something, and agreed to let her go because of it.

Although, now that he thought about it, he never did bother to ask what she had seen. Thinking that it wouldn't be such a bad idea, he rose from his bed and left his room in search of Serah. She was the only one that could answer the questions that he had.

Like his men, Banon knew the cave quite well, and had no problems walking around it. It wasn't much, but it was home and would keep them out of the eyes of those who they didn't want seeing them. In fact, knowing this, it would have made more sense to insist that Chrysta remain here, out of fear that she would be captured again if things went against them.

But he had his reasons.

Just as he came upon the door and was about to knock, he could hear a girl's voice inside. "I hope they are okay."

"Don't worry, Rosa," said the voice of a younger girl, who sounded like a child. "I'm sure they are fine."

"Yes, they are," Serah's voice agreed. She seemed to pause for a moment before going on, "I know for a fact that they are just fine. Cecil is looking out for Chrysta and Locke is too. Cecil isn't alone either, and there should be someone else with them too."

Banon looked around to make sure no one was watching. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he placed his ear onto the door. Maybe he could get his questions answered this way instead of asking directly?

"How do you know this?" Rosa's voice asked curiously.

"Don't you know, kupo?" The tone in the moogle's voice suggested surprise, like he was sure everyone should know this by now. "She can see into the future, kupo!"

"That's how I knew Chrysta would be fine if she went, which is why I suggested it," Serah pointed out. "I saw them returning here. I do understand your worry though." Her sigh was so soft that Banon almost didn't hear it. "I do worry if I see something that has to do with him."

Banon nodded a little to himself when he heard that. They hadn't seen 'him' lately. No one bothered to question it either, because he was so certain and he completely refused to believe otherwise, having the most trust in the pink haired girl, even before her first future vision. But then again, he was her fiancée and he believed in her against all odds. And that man was currently looking for Serah's sister, Lightning. And he was doing it all for the girl's sake as she was worried about her sister's well being.

The talk had grown quiet, almost whispers to Banon and he couldn't hear the rest clearly. Once he could hear though, he could tell their conversation shifted. Rosa was questioning Baron, over their sudden allegiance to the Gestahlian Empire, and why they would kidnap a young girl and the Crystal Core, showing that her thoughts were on more than just the dark knight. Rydia wondered about Chrysta's new ability to create crystals, and wondered if that had something to do with it.

Banon, realizing he wasn't going to get any more info, decided it was best to leave before being spotted. A thoughtful expression crossed his face as he moved away from the door. So, they were going to return safely then? That was good enough, as it was really all he needed.

Perhaps the pieces would fall into place soon.

* * *

After a lot of walking around, the group finally made it to the end of the mineshaft. Locke had to admit that if it weren't for the moogles that helped them out, the guards of Narshe would have captured them. In fact, they helped them through the passageway that was shown off earlier, but as they reached the end, the moogles said they had something to do and quickly left.

Whatever it was, they hadn't seen the moogles or any of the guards. It was just as well though, at least when it came to the soldiers. An all out fight wasn't something that anyone wanted right now.

"It's a dead end," Tina whispered, noticing that there didn't seem to be a way out.

"Not to worry," Locke told the blonde. "I think this switch will open the way," He moved toward one of the walls and pulled the nearby switch. A part of the wall opened up, revealing a way out. The snow outside of it indicated that they were finally outside.

The group stayed silent as they made their way outside. They didn't want any attention to be drawn to them after coming so close. The pathway seemed to close behind them as they walked away, leaving Narshe behind.

"Well, that takes care of that," the treasure hunter said with a nod of his head. "I'm sure it will be a while before they realize we got out of there."

A thoughtful expression crossed Cecil's unseen features. He turned his head to look at the other man. "We should make our way to Figaro Castle."

"Yeah, and we should tell the king about this, like Arvis said," Locke replied.

"Mind explaining why we would tell an ally of the Empire about what is going on?" the dark knight inquired. His question caused everyone to slow in their steps and a look of alarm could be clearly seen in Chrysta's eyes. "Figaro has had an alliance with the Empire longer than Baron has been."

Locke, realizing what the knight was getting at, gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. That is all an act really. On the surface, King Edgar only pretends to support the Empire. He is actually with the Returners."

His explanation filled Chrysta with relief. In fact, she couldn't help but notice that she was more relieved than she should have been. Of course, she felt better knowing that the king was on their side, since despite being drawn to Figaro Castle, she could have walked directly into enemy hands. It didn't explain everything though.

"Empire?" Tina murmured weakly. "But, I'm a soldier of the Empire…" Her voice seemed to trail off and she lowered her head sadly.

"That's not true!" Locke exclaimed quickly, rushing over to the girl's side. "You were only being used and that's all!"

Tina slowly shook her head, almost as if she wasn't completely convinced. "I don't understand," she said softly. "What do I do?"

"I've been asking myself the same question," Chrysta piped up, causing the other girl to look up again. "I don't remember much about my past, and even if I did, I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't know what is going on. Tina, I'm scared too, about what will happen. And yet, I know that if I just stand around and not do anything, I'll never get my answers. It can be hard to tell which is the right answer, and we may never know what is right. But we never know unless we try."

"That is true," Cecil went on. "We have to do something. And right now, it seems we have to go to Figaro Castle." At this moment, the dark knight paused before looking at the brunette. He remembered that it wasn't Locke or Arvis who said they should go there. Chrysta said so first. There was no way she could have known that Figaro wasn't really with the Empire.

Locke slowly tilted his head, also turning his gaze toward her. "Say, why did you say want to go to Figaro anyway?"

Chrysta gave the group and unsure look, before shaking her head. "To tell the truth, I don't know. I feel like something is pulling me there."

"Something is pulling you?" Tina asked, not exactly sure what the girl meant with that statement.

"Yeah, something like that anyway," the brunette went on, looking even more uncertain than she did before. "I don't know why, but I heard it. 'Go to Figaro Castle, Chrysta.'"

No one was sure what Chrysta meant, but it seemed she didn't understand any more than they would right now. "Well, I guess we'll have to see when we get there," Locke remarked.

"Seems so," Cecil agreed.

After checking with one another that they could still go on, the group continued on their way. Among everyone, Tina still seemed unsure about the situation, more than even Chrysta did right now. She still seemed scared and nervous.

In understanding Chrysta came closer to the other girl to try to help her feel better about the situation. After all, since she had amnesia as well, she was pretty much in the same boat. The look in the blonde's blue eyes seemed to show that she appreciated it, and yet it didn't seem to get rid of her nervousness completely.

After making their way back through the forested area, they came to a stop a little ways before the desert. "We should probably rest here for the day," Cecil suggested. "We can start going through the desert before the sun rises."

"I agree," Locke said, looking toward the girls. Both of them nodded their heads in agreement.

With all of them working together, it didn't take all that long to pitch the tent. Tina wasn't sure what she was doing; but then again, Chrysta was still getting used to it. Cecil and Locke had no trouble at all. After they made sure the tent was up, Locke left to get some wood they could use to start up a fire.

While Locke was away, Chrysta noticed Tina seemed to be muttering under her breath, at the mention of fire. She instantly recognized the incantation as a fire spell, indicating that Tina was a magic user as well. The blonde didn't even finish the spell, probably because right then there was no reason to use it.

It didn't take long for the man to return with enough wood. What was surprising though was when they tried to start a fire. When Cecil or Locke tried to rub a couple sticks, it would spark, but then the fire would die away. When suggested that Chrysta should try to use a fire spell, she said that Tina should try instead. The blonde, in confusion, agreed to cast the spell. The spell lasted only a little while than the sticks did, and when Chrysta tried it, the same results occurred.

"This is odd," Cecil said slowly. "Why can't we get a fire going?"

"Beats me," Locke murmured as he tried to rub the sticks again, with similar results. "I've never had this much problems before."

At that moment, a familiar feeling came over Chrysta. Like some sort of energy surrounding her. Only this time, it felt a lot warmer, almost like the heat of the flame. With a gasp, she fell to her knees, causing everyone to look at her with concern.

In order to make the feeling go away she did what she had done back at the Returner hideout. She concentrated the energy she felt while curling her fingers and placing her hand near her heart. She couldn't help crying out a little, as the heat seemed to actually get to her.

"_Don't lose your concentration now! Focus Chrysta!"_

The girl slowly nodded and tried as hard as she could not to lose her focus. After a moment, the feeling finally passed, and she felt the same smooth feeling against her palm. Chrysta allowed herself to gasp a couple of times as she tried to get her bearings.

"Are you okay?" Tina asked slowly, the nervousness she had before slipping back into her tone.

"I think so," Chrysta murmured. "It was like before, but like it was burning. Like a fire."

"Burning like fire?" Locke echoed.

Cecil nodded slowly before looking toward the other young man. "Why don't you try again, Locke?"

Locke gave the dark knight a confused look, but shrugged his shoulders and gave it a try anyway. He picked up two different sticks and started rubbing them together carefully. This time, the spark grew into a more powerful flame that didn't just die out.

"Hey, it worked!" the self-proclaimed treasure hunter cried.

"That's what I thought," Cecil remarked as he looked toward Chrysta whom had managed to reach her feet. He gave her a look of concern as she seemed to be a little wobbly, but she was otherwise standing. When she opened up her hand, he was not surprised to see the crystal resting in her palm. However, the color of the crystal wasn't the same as the last one. It was mostly an orange color that held a tint of red.

"Is that a crystal?" Locke inquired.

"Yes," Chrysta answered and nodded. She almost fell over, as making this crystal took a lot more energy than the last one, but Cecil was quick to rush forward to support her, like he did for Tina back in Narshe. "I think this is a fire crystal though."

"I've heard about the four elemental crystals," Cecil remarked, carefully holding on to the brunette and helping her to sit down. "The crystals of fire, water, wind and earth. Like the other crystals, they vanished long ago."

Of course, no one could say for sure why this crystal suddenly allowed them to spark a fire when they were able to do so other times without its help. At least, the crystal helping them seemed to be the only thing that made sense, since after it appeared, they had no trouble making one.

The curiosity went into the night, and they were not any closer to the answer.

* * *

_The flames were everywhere, causing destruction in their wake. Chrysta would have been coughing from the smoke, yet for some reason, she was completely unaffected. The area didn't look familiar to her, but it didn't help that there was so much fire as well._

_The walls, the floor, everywhere you looked there was a fire of sorts. However, what completely horrified the brunette was what else she could see. Soldiers in brown, green or black armor could be seen lying on the ground. Flames surrounded their lifeless bodies, and in some cases, their helmets were removed, allowing the fire to burn their faces._

_Chrysta was sickened by what she was seeing around her. Even though she had long realized this was a dream, the sight around her made her want to throw up. She could tell this fire wasn't an accident, it was on purpose._

_Suddenly, an eerie sounding laugh caused her to look up. She didn't get to see the man that was there, but she could see the one standing next to him. It was Tina, who was not only casting fire magic, yet she was also in a suit of Magitek Armor and shooting off Fire Beams. The Slave Crown could clearly been seen on head, telling the brunette that the blonde didn't have her own thoughts right then._

"_Tina! Stop!" Chrysta yelled, not wanting to see the girl cause more destruction like this. But it didn't look like Tina could hear her._

_More than likely however, she was hearing the voice of the man who was still laughing, seeming to enjoy what was he was seeing. "Burn everything!"_

* * *

Chrysta's eyes snapped open and she sat up, taking deep breaths. She let out a sigh of relief, as she took in a final gulp of air. The images swirled in her mind and she shuddered. Was what her dream showed her the truth about what happened? Did Tina really spread such mayhem when she was under the Empire's control?

She looked over toward the blonde, hoping that she was sleeping much better than she was. A small smile crossed her features when it appeared as though Tina was sleeping peacefully. If what she had seen was true, then she was glad she had been released from the Empire's grasp.

But what would it mean for Chrysta herself?

With a shake of her head, she reminded herself that she wasn't alone and neither was Tina. They were all in this together as a team. And their story was only just beginning.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

Chrysta started to lie back down, knowing that a little more sleep would do her good. At that moment, a familiar voice called out, waking the other two, Tina and Locke, in the tent with her. "Wake up! We have company!"

The trio quickly scrambled to their feet, with Tina and Locke grabbing their daggers. With dread in their hearts, they pushed the tent flap open and walked outside. Much to their own horror, under the light of the moon, they could see that there were soldiers standing in a circle around the group, blocking any possible escape route. The colors of the armor were both red and green, which was different than anything the brunette had seen up to this point. Some of them appeared to riding on big, yellow birds that were called chocobos.

Cecil, who had once again been standing watch, was trying to fight off their attackers, but the blade was knocked out of his hand. The dark knight looked sharply in the treasure hunter's direction, who had a very surprised look on his face. "I thought you said they were with the Returners!"

Before Locke could reply, one of the soldiers riding a chocobo laughed, as a couple of the others advanced on Cecil. "Where did you hear that from? Everyone knows about our allegiance to the Gestahlian Empire!"

Fear flashed in Chrysta's eyes. She knew from hearing what the soldier and Cecil said that they had to be from Figaro Castle. But she remembered very clearly what the treasure hunter had told them. Only one thought came to mind, but she didn't like it very much.

"Are these bad people?" Tina asked in a whisper, doing her best to keep her legs from shaking.

"This isn't right," Locke said shaking his head. "This just isn't right."

One of the soldiers walked forward and looked the group over. A look of satisfaction crossed his face when his eyes landed on Chrysta. "Well now, who do we have here? Brown hair, brown eyes and wearing a pink dress. I wonder…"

Locke shook his head, snapping out whatever he had been under, and moved quickly to get in front of the brunette. He was not about to break his promise! The soldier just stared at the young man and for a few moments, there was silence between them. The man leaned forward, whispered something in the other man's ear, then pulled back.

"Out of the way!" the soldier suddenly ordered, and with no effort at all, pushed the young man to the side, causing him to sprawl on the ground, the dagger slipping out of his grasp.

"No!" Chrysta gasped in horror as the young man was quickly taken into custody.

Tina, seeing the fear in the other girl's eyes, reacted quickly and rushed toward the soldier, about to swing her weapon. Either she wasn't as good with it compared to her magic, or the man was prepared for such an attack. He had little trouble knocking the blonde backward, and she was grabbed before she could get up on her own.

Chrysta knew that if she didn't do something quickly, she was going to be caught. But even she knew how slim her odds were yet something inside her was not willing to give up. She knew she could cast fire magic, but the guy was so close, she wasn't sure if she even had enough time to try. Deciding that she had to at least give it a shot, she started to chant. What she didn't know was that another soldier had started to advance on her from behind.

She didn't have much time to react as she felt a strong hand snake around her torso and held her in a tight grip. Another hand clamped over her mouth to stop her chanting and muffled her cries. Seeing as she couldn't attack, the first soldier looked the girl over, soon finding her dress pocket.

He reached in to it, and took something smooth from out of it. Chrysta could feel her heart sink a bit when she saw what he was holding. It was the red and orange fire crystal that she had made not too long ago.

"So, this is a crystal," the soldier mused, looking it over carefully. "So, it is true then. This is the Crystal Girl that we've been hearing about."

If the brunette wasn't in any sort of trouble, she would have narrowed her eyes a bit. Were these people seriously calling her Crystal Girl?

"Let her go!" Cecil's voice held determination and anger, even though he was currently being held back, and had no way of helping her.

One of the other soldiers looked at the dark knight and laughed. "I don't think you are in any position to order us around."

Chrysta struggled in the grip of her captor, but no matter what she did, she couldn't get free at all. This couldn't be happening. She didn't want to believe that she was being captured again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Locke had dismay and confusion written all over his face.

"It seems we have finally found who we have been looking for," the lead soldier said as he eyed his fellows. He then glanced at her unarmed companions. "We can't take any chances though, so these three will be coming along as well."

* * *

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Arvis said, turning his head away from the person questioning him.

Kain shook his head, taking one step closer to the older man. "Somehow I doubt that," he told him. "I've done some asking around, and it seems as though you keep trying to get this village to side with the Returners. And we've heard who we are looking for had been here at some point."

Arvis knew to whom the dragoon was referring to. He was certain that they were referring to the Crystal Girl. He knew that was what many people were calling her. If the young man before him was speaking the truth, then she had to be that brown haired girl that came with Locke and that dark knight. The one named Chrysta.

"Even if that were true, what makes you think I would tell you where they went?" Arvis questioned, turning his gaze back to him. For a moment, all they could hear was the steady tick-tock sound that came from the clock mounted on the wall.

Kain grabbed his spear and stared the older man in the eye. "Are you willing to keep quiet at the cost of your own life?"

Arvis didn't know how to respond to that at first. He had no experience with fighting, as he never picked up a weapon. And the room they were standing in didn't give him much room to improvise. The two were standing in the room by the front door, with the Magitek Armor and the clock behind him. The clock was way out of reach, and the Magitek Armor was broken, and he couldn't fix it even if he wanted to.

"Some people choose death way too quickly," the dragoon went on, holding his spear in a tight grip. "Tell me where they have gone, old man. They couldn't have gotten far."

There wasn't much of a choice. Either Arvis told him what he wanted to know, or he would end up dying. Neither option sounded all that good either, and he couldn't think of a third one. Even if there was one, he couldn't think of it.

Hoping that Locke and Banon would forgive him, the old man sighed. "They are going to Figaro Castle."

"Why would they go there?" Kain asked, keeping hold of his spear in case Arvis was lying to him. "They are one of the Empire's allies."

"I don't know," Arvis fibbed, hoping that the dragoon would believe him. "I tried to stop them, but they were insistent."

Kain wasn't quite sure that the whole truth was being spoken right then. However, he felt that at least he was being truthful about their destination. Now he had an idea about where he needed to go next. He approached the old man, who gave him a look of fear.

"That is all I needed to hear from you." Kain gazed into the man's terrified eyes for a few seconds, before he turned around and started to walk off.

* * *

Silence hung in the desert air as the sun started to rise overhead. No one dared to speak, and for two of them it wasn't all that possible anyway. Every once and a while, people would glance to one another, but not a single word was said.

Despite the situation taking a bit of a grim turn, Chrysta did her best to cling onto whatever hope they had. Tina, fear flickering in her blue eyes, had her head lowered mostly. Locke as well kept his gaze downward, so no one could see his expression. Cecil kept as calm as he possibly could while looking at everyone.

The four had their hands bound behind them with rope, which was a feeling that Chrysta was familiar with. After finding out that the girls could cast spells, cloths had been placed firmly over their mouths and tied securely behind their heads in order to silence and muffle them.

The lead soldier looked over his shoulder briefly before gazing back at the fire crystal that he had taken earlier. He had never seen anything like this before, and he had to bet that no one else had either. However, like everyone else, he had heard the tales of how there used to be crystals back then.

Chrysta let out a muffled groan, wishing she could rest her legs. They had been walking for a while now, and she was still a little sleepy since she had gotten woken up in the middle of the night. The heat certainly wasn't helping matters currently, as it seemed to sap her strength away.

Tina seemed to be faring a little better than the other girl, but it was clear that the heat was getting to her as well. Locke looked better than the other two, probably due to the fact that he had been to Figaro before, since he claimed to know the king. As usual, it was hard to tell for Cecil, because of all his armor. But that couldn't have been good for him

Finally, a stone castle came into view. The castle seemed to be split into three sections, connected by what appeared to be some sort of stone bridges or pathways. They came to a stop for a moment as the lead soldier spoke to the one in front of the door. It took only a moment before he moved out of the way, allowing them entry.

The lead soldier went in first, followed by the four friends and then a few more guards. They stopped in the room that had two staircases heading downward, and another door in front of them. The lead soldier looked to the others behind the group and nodded. The soldiers wasted no time in removing the ropes binding their hands and the girls' gags.

"Sorry about that," the lead soldier apologized. "We had to make it look good though."

Locke shook his head and after rubbing his wrists, crossed his arms. "What do you mean? Why was that even necessary?"

Before the other three could voice their opinion on the matter, the soldier answered. "There are those that are here, looking for the Crystal Girl…"

"Chrysta," the brunette interrupted, looking a little irritable at hearing that nickname again.

"Sorry," the soldier remarked. "There are those that are looking for Chrysta. Those from Baron and the Empire. After she escaped, some people from both places have been looking for her. We pretended to join the search as well, but to help you instead."

"Can we trust you?" Tina suddenly asked, questioning the brunette and the dark knight's concern.

"Yeah, you can," Locke answered looking to the others. "I don't like what they did just now either, but I know he is telling the truth. He must have sensed my confusion and when he leaned toward me, he told me to 'play along' in a whisper."

"It was just in case we were seen by Baron or the Empire," one of the soldiers behind them piped up. "We couldn't take any chances."

"So does that make us prisoners or guests?" Cecil questioned, as he wasn't sure about trusting them yet.

"Don't think of it as being a prisoner," the lead soldier told the dark knight. "We are allies of the Returners, so you are our guests. You don't need to worry either. We won't turn any of you over to them. Anyway, I'm sure you have some important matters to discuss with the king."

Cecil, Chrysta and Tina looked to one another, and one by one each of them relaxed a bit more. While the dark knight didn't look so sure, and the blonde still had a flicker of nervousness in her eyes, they could tell that at the moment, they were safe.

The weapons were returned to the group and the crystal was returned to Chrysta, which she placed in her pocket quickly. The lead soldier moved out of the way, allowing the four to move forward. As they went out the door, the desert air once against greeted them. Thankfully, they didn't need to worry about the heat as much anymore. Though there were more doorways to the left and right, Locke instead led the group forward, saying that it went to the throne room.

"Cecil, I was wondering how you lost your sword earlier," Chrysta said softly as she walked up next to him.

Cecil shook his head. "You know how that thief told us from the beginning that Figaro was with the Returners?" he asked, ignoring the brief glare that Locke threw his way. "Well, some soldiers approached me. I was cautious when they said they had been looking for someone, and it didn't take me long to notice they had surrounded the camp. I called out to you and grabbed my sword, and you know the rest."

Locke, mumbling the word 'treasure hunter' under his breath, continued to lead the way forward into the next room. The area was mostly a straight line, but had a path to the left and right, which again they were ignoring. They were walking on a red carpet and went by what appeared to be golden statues that looked like armor for the most part, minus the helmets and the tips of the swords pointed downward. Without really getting the chance to explore, they were led by the self-proclaimed treasure hunter into a more spacious room. It had two red curtains, more red carpeting, and two blue and red pendants on the walls behind the thrones, which now they noticed it, was also in the room they were in before, with the soldiers.

There were two soldiers in the room, and a young man sitting on the throne to the left. He had blonde hair in a ponytail, blue eyes, and wearing mostly blue clothes that looked like something a royal would wear. Locke stopped in the middle of the room, asked the group to wait and walked ahead of them.

Locke had spoken so softly that they had no idea what was being said to the blonde. All the three could do was look to one another, as they waited for the treasure hunter to be finished. It felt as though it was taking a long time.

The first thing the young man did was stand up and approach the group. He looked between Chrysta and Tina. "You mean, these young ladies are…?"

His voice trailed off, and without really thinking about what he did, turned his back on them. The girls stared at one another, before glancing back the blonde haired man. "Who are you?" Tina asked slowly.

"Isn't it a little rude to turn your back on someone like that?" Chrysta added.

The young man chuckled lightly and turned back around. "You're right, that was terribly rude of me to turn my back on our very first meeting! I am Edgar, the King of Figaro Castle."

"So you are the king." Cecil stepped forward and raised his visor. "Did you have anything to do with our earlier treatment?"

Edgar sighed a little bit, reaching up with his left hand to rub his temple. "I told them to use whatever means necessary to bring you here. It is actually very important. We figured you might be coming here when we got a message from Locke. I didn't intend for them to trick you like this."

"What is so important?" Tina asked curiously.

"We'll get to that in a moment, I need to check something first," the young king answered. "I'm sorry for how you were treated, and I hope you can relax while you are here." He then turned his attention to the girls. "Especially you two. I really don't have it in my heart to harm two beautiful ladies."

The two girls eyed each other. Tina with confusion and Chrysta looking a bit disinterested. Edgar noticed the glance the two shared, and decided it was better to stop there, even though he had plans to go further. "Anyway, like I said, I need to check something first. You can rest in the room we prepared for you, Locke will show you the way." He flashed the group a smile before he started to walk off. As he did, he mumbled something about 'his technique being rusty.'

"Don't mind him," Locke quickly told the girls, once he was sure the king was out of earshot. "He tries to pick up every girl he sees. I know what room he is talking about. Follow me."

As the three followed after the young man, back the way they had come, Tina murmured under her breath, "A normal girl would have found him dashing. But not me…"

Chrysta wasn't completely sure she understood the comment. Especially since she felt that Edgar was trying way too soon. Maybe it was just her, but it made her feel a little uncomfortable.

Once they were back in the outside area, they turned to their right and went inside. They saw another door, and a woman, who smiled upon seeing them and opened it for them. "Your room is ready. Please have a nice rest."

At the mention of rest, Chrysta remembered how tired she felt. Despite what happened earlier, maybe things were looking up after all. She slid toward the nearest bed, plopped down on top of it, and happily closed her eyes.

**Author's Note: When I originally wrote this chapter, there were a couple of things that needed fixing. With help from my beta, I was able to get things fixed up!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

"Someone came to see Chrysta?" Tina asked curiously as Edgar took a seat on his throne.

"Yes, someone from Mysidia, actually," the young king answered with a nod of his head. "Like I said earlier, we heard from Locke that she was going to be in this area at some point. We also got a letter from a girl named Serah, who told us that she had wanted to see the Mysidian Elder. While we couldn't arrange that, someone has come on his behalf."

"That's better than nothing," Cecil replied, as he once again lifted his visor. "Maybe she can finally get some answers to the questions she has."

Tina slowly looked around the throne room. Chrysta wasn't here, and neither was Locke or the messenger. The young man had been sent to get the brunette, who had been left sleeping in the room. Another soldier was out getting the messenger, who had apparently also been resting, but for a different reason.

"You!" a feminine voice shouted angrily behind Cecil and Tina.

The two quickly spun around and found a girl looking at the dark knight with rage in her green eyes. Despite the fact that she was wearing the usual Black Mage cloak, she wasn't wearing the usual hat, allowing everyone to see her face, her eyes, and her strawberry red hair that was put in long pigtails.

"Hey, take it easy!" the soldier next to her cried, trying to hold back the angry black mage. "You've only just recovered!"

"How can I take it easy?" she demanded, keeping her gaze on Cecil. "He's the one who led the attack against Mysidia!"

"I did do that," Cecil agreed, doing his best to keep his cool. "And considering all that I've done, you have every right to be upset. But…"

"You've taken the lives of innocent mages, took away the Crystal Core and kidnapped Chrysta! I'm going to…"

"Please, stop!"

The fury seemed to leave the black mage's eyes when she heard the voice. She looked over her shoulder, her pigtails swaying as she did so. Locke and Chrysta ran into the room, and worry could be seen clearly in the brunette's eyes.

"Please, don't do anything to Cecil," Chrysta pleaded.

"But, Chrysta," the black mage protested. "How can you say that with what he's done…"

Chrysta slowly shook her head and approached the other girl, placing her hand gently on her shoulder. "I know he has done some bad things in the past. But he realizes what he has done, and is doing his best to make things right."

"She's right," Locke went on, causing the black mage to look in his direction. "Since then, he has allied himself with the Returners, who are currently against not just the Empire, but also Baron. As I'm sure you know, Baron has allied themselves with them recently. If it wasn't for him, Chrysta would still be their prisoner."

The girl sighed and shook her head. "If you say so. I'm not so sure though…"

Chrysta, a look of sadness flickering in her eyes, looked away. "I wish I could say I understand how you feel right now. But the truth is, I don't remember much before I woke up in Baron Castle. I just know bits and pieces. I do understand why you feel such hatred for Cecil. He understands this too. But, I…" The brunette slowly trailed off, unsure of what she wanted to say right then.

The black mage finally managed a small smile, before wrapping the girl in a hug, which took her off guard. "It's okay. Everyone in Mysidia knows how hard this is going to be for you, Chrysta. I'm just glad to know that you are safe."

Chrysta was about to ask about the girl's sudden shift of attitude, but didn't get the chance to. Instead, the black mage released her from the embrace led her further into the throne room, with Locke following not long after.

"You're lucky," the black mage told Cecil. "If it wasn't for Chrysta, I would have turned you into a frog or an imp." She didn't even give the dark knight a chance to reply before she looked at everyone. "Sorry about that, just thinking about that day puts me on edge." She turned her attention to the king and bowed. "Forgive my behavior, your Majesty. I was out of line."

"Don't worry about it," Edgar told the black mage with his best reassuring smile. "I can't stay mad at you."

"Who are you?" Tina asked, finally finding her voice after what just happened.

"I'm Mint, a black mage from the village of Mysidia," the girl introduced, looking a lot friendlier than she had a moment ago. "I'm here on behalf of the Elder."

Upon hearing this, Chrysta's face instantly lit up. "Really? I've wanted to talk to him about what has been going on. I have so many questions and…"

Mint smiled a little and allowed herself to chuckle. "I'm not the Elder, but I think I can help with whatever questions you may have. In fact, I know why you don't have your memory." Upon mentioning this, she frowned slightly. "It has to do with the Crystal Core. When it fused with you, your body likely went into a state of shock, and that is what caused it."

"Was that supposed to happen?" Locke questioned as he slowly tilted his head.

Mint shrugged her shoulders. "It's hard to say. I've heard that it could happen, but I have also heard that it is possible for someone to keep their memories when the Crystal Core enters them. Maybe it is because it was done forcefully?"

Chrysta, feeling like she might be getting somewhere, even a little, got a hopeful look in her eye. "Mint, can you please help me? Can you tell me what is going on and why?"

Mint nodded slowly, looking at everyone in the room. "I can tell you what you need to know." The black mage paused for a bit, making sure she had their attention. Her gaze lasted on Cecil for a bit more before she went on.

"As the people of the world know, the crystals vanished a long time ago. No one knows what had happened that caused them to disappear. The only one that remained was the Crystal Core, claimed to be the ancestor of all crystals." The redhead turned herself to face Chrysta. "The crystals have been known to give some slight power, but they are also known for keeping balance in the world."

"Balance?" Tina echoed.

"An elemental balance, as it were," Mint explained. "Recently, the ability to create and use fire had dwindled a bit, but I heard that after a few hours, it was returned. This isn't something that happens normally."

Chrysta reached into her pocket and removed the fire crystal. "So, this is what returned it, then?"

"Yes, that's right. But you're probably wondering. If the crystals were gone before, why didn't it go away much sooner? Well, that was due to the Crystal Core itself. It did its best to maintain the balance, and kept it in check. But it wouldn't last forever, and it needs help to create the crystals. And that is where Chrysta comes in.

"Not just anyone can have the Crystal Core fused with them. They need to have certain… qualities, I guess you could say. Chrysta was brought from a distant place in order to return crystals to the world and restore the balance."

"_Forgive me, Chrysta,"_ the voice in the brunette's head said in a strangely apologetic tone. A look of surprise filled Chrysta's face. The voice that she had been hearing. Was it even possible?

"Is there something wrong, Chrysta?" Mint asked, looking at the brunette with worry.

"Well, every now and then, I've been hearing a voice," Chrysta told the redhead. "I've heard the voice say different things. It started out as just some small bits of info, then it told me to make the crystals and then tried to bring me here."

"That sounds about right," Mint replied, slowly nodding her head. "You are connected to the Crystal Core. It is very likely that what you are hearing is the voice of the Crystal Core."

"What?!" everyone in the room exclaimed, except for Chrysta. Even though she had just realized it, it was though she had known for a while now. Even King Edgar, who had seemed very composed and had been listening to every word the mage said, was just as stunned as everyone else.

"The reason you were likely brought here was to give the fire crystal to Figaro," the black mage went on, ignoring everyone's surprise. "I believe it was around here that the fire crystal used to be."

Edgar quickly shook away the shock he was feeling and nodded his head. "Yes, that is right. There is a hidden Crystal Room in the castle, and it hasn't been used for quite some time."

Chrysta held onto the crystal for a moment before she turned toward Edgar and walked to the throne. She uncurled her fingers to look at the crystal once more before she handed it over. "I knew there was some reason why I was being brought here. Please, take it."

The young king accepted the crystal from the girl. "Thank you," he said politely.

"Chrysta must travel the world to put the remaining crystals into place," Mint continued. "It's the only way to restore balance to the world."

"So, the Crystal Core wouldn't want her to remain at the hideout then," Cecil said thoughtfully.

"No. Nor would it want her in Baron or at Vector either."

Before any more words could be said, a soldier quickly rushed into the throne room shouting, "King Edgar!" he paused for a moment as the king stood, the soldier doing his best to catch his breath. "There is someone from Baron to see you! A dragoon from the look of it!"

"Kain!" Cecil cried. Even though he knew many dragoons, the only one he knew for sure that was chasing Chrysta was his old friend.

"I'll be right there," Edgar told the soldier. He quickly slipped the fire crystal into his pocket. "I'll be going alone. The rest of you stay here and be quiet. No matter what you hear."

Everyone watched as the young king left the throne room, then looked to one another. Some with nervousness, while others seemed to remain firm. A few tense minutes passed with no one saying a single word.

However, the silence in the room was broken by a voice that came from the corner of the room near the throne. "A dragoon from Baron? What do we owe the honor of your visit?"

Mint couldn't help a small smile, and silently chuckled when she saw the surprised looks from Chrysta, Cecil and Tina. Nestled in the corner was some flowers, colored with mostly orange and blue blooms. Did the king's voice come through the flowers?

"I'm sure you know of the girl that we are looking for," Kain's voice answered.

"Ah, the Crystal Girl then?" Edgar questioned, sounding as though he was intrigued.

"Yes. We hear she has been seen around here."

"_How in the heck can we hear their voices through those flowers?"_ Chrysta thought, unable to wipe the shock from her face. _"This is just so weird!"_

"_Well, it would be weird to you,"_ the voice of the Crystal Core replied. _"You are probably thinking of this 'Twin Harp' that you seem to remember it as. As well as the Echoer and Echo Grass. It is no wonder that out of anything so far, this would seem strange to you."_

The brunette blinked for a moment, wondering how in the world the Crystal Core would know something about that. What she didn't get was, how could she mistake some flowers for a harp?

"My men have been looking for her," Edgar's voice said, taking the girl out of her thoughts once more. "They answer to me of course, so once found, she would be brought here. I would also bring her to the Empire myself, as we are allies."

"Of course," Kain remarked. There was a slight pause before he added, "You wouldn't happen to be lying to me, are you?"

"I would have no reason to lie," the young king answered. "I know every girl here in my kingdom, and I know she isn't here right now."

There was silence for a moment, and everyone in the throne room wondered if the dragoon believed the king or not. "As long as you are not lying, then I will take you on your word."

A look of relief filled Chrysta's eyes and she allowed her muscles to relax. She took a deep breath, and placed her hand on her chest. She couldn't help but notice how close that was.

Once they were sure they were in the clear, Locke spoke up; "Those flowers are called whisperweed. You can hear voices through another batch of the same flowers as long as they are in range. There was actually some whisperweed near where our room is."

"I never noticed it," Chrysta said, noticing she found her voice again.

"Maybe you were too tired to notice," Cecil suggested, looking thoughtful. "You fell asleep as soon as you were on the bed."

"Maybe," Chrysta answered with a slight shrug.

A few more moments passed and Edgar returned to the throne room. "We're going to have to cut our conversation a bit short. I'm going to talk to the chancellor about our next move. I really do hate being a king sometimes."

* * *

Mint followed Chrysta back to the room they were staying at. Cecil and Tina were getting a tour from Locke, and while the brunette wanted one too, the black mage wanted some time alone with the other girl. Once they were inside, the redhead once against embraced her.

"It is so good to see you again, Chrysta," she told her. "We were so worried about you."

"I can understand that," Chrysta replied, looking a little unsure. "Cecil said that I gave myself up to stop the bloodshed."

"You did," Mint said with a nod of her head. "It was right after Rue was killed by him. You said you didn't want anyone else to die for you, even knowing what you were supposed to do."

A look of confusion filled the brunette's brown eyes. "I knew?"

"We had to tell you, but yes," the redhead answered with a nod of her head, as she pulled herself away from the other girl. "You said you didn't quite understand how you ended up in Mist. Even we don't know for sure how that happened. Rue, who was traveling the world to become a sage at the time, happened to find you in Mist. He told me he grew quite attached to you as he brought you back to us."

"Is that why he tried to protect me from Cecil?"

Mint nodded again, tears forming in her green eyes. She quickly wiped them away. "Yes, it was. He was also the one to teach you the incantations for the Cure and Fire spells. He was going to teach you more, but we were attacked before he could." Seeing that Chrysta was about to speak, she was quick to add, "You may have heard you had no magic before now. That is true. When the Crystal Core went into you, it gave you the ability to use magic, as you are not from around here at all. The people of Mysidia knew this, and to help you out, Rue decided to be your teacher."

Chrysta sat down on the nearest bed and shook her head. "I know what is being asked of me. But it is a bit much to ask too."

"You said that before," Mint told the other girl. "We know it is difficult for you, and it has gotten even worse, now that other people are planning to take the power of the crystals for themselves. But someone has to do this."

_"If I don't do something, then what will become of this world? I don't know why it has to be me, but I'm here now."_

For the briefest instant, Chrysta thought that was the Crystal Core. And then again, maybe it was. However, if so, it was trying to remind her of what she said before she lost her memory. It was still a lot to take in at once.

Even so, something deep in her heart told her she wanted to help this world in any way she could. All she could do was hope that things would go well and smoothly.

But things can't always be so simple.


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

Edgar smiled to himself as he placed the Fire Crystal on the pedestal in the middle of the room. Almost as soon as he did this, the room itself seemed to light up. There were a few torches on the wall that provided light, but the crystal's light made the room even brighter than it did before.

The king remembered the stories he had heard from his parents when he was a young child. About the crystals and how their kingdom once held onto one of the Elemental Crystals, known as the Fire Crystal. It was up to them to protect it from anyone who would even dare try to steal it. It had always been that way.

And then, one day, the Fire Crystal was stolen. They tried desperately to get it back, along with the other Elemental Crystals. The details of the story always got messed up around there though, as no one could remember what had happened after that. All anyone knew for sure is that the Elemental Crystals vanished, along with the rest of the crystals. Well, except for the Crystal Core.

"Your Majesty?" the chancellor's voice asked, taking the young king out of his thoughts.

"Hm?" he murmured as he looked over his shoulder. "Oh, don't mind me, I was just thinking of something is all." He stared at the crystal for a moment, before turning his attention to the chancellor. "Anyway, we need to get them out of here as quickly as possible."

"So, you think they are not safe here," the chancellor said thoughtfully with a nod of his head.

"That's right," the king replied. "That dragoon… I'm not sure if he believed me or not. We can't take chances in case he didn't."

"What is the plan then?"

Edgar paused for a moment, looking both ways, before he continued. "I expect that they will show up and will have us surrounded or under arrest. I'm sure they will not expect us to use one of the bridges and escape on the backs of chocobos."

"Are you leaving, Your Majesty?" the chancellor inquired.

"You know what they will do once they knew that I lied," Edgar replied. He looked angry for a moment, before he wiped the expression from his face. "I trust I can leave Figaro to you while I am away?"

"Of course," the chancellor told the young king with a reassuring smile. "You can depend on me."

* * *

_The Crystal Core seemed to float above the pond as it shed a gentle light. Chrysta stared at it for what felt like the hundredth time even though she knew this wasn't the case. She shook her head and then crossed her arms, a thoughtful expression crossing her face._

"_Chrysta?" asked a familiar voice behind her._

_The brunette looked up and turned slightly to look at the man who had come up behind her. He had a brown beard and moustache, and his eyes were hazel in color. He wasn't wearing a White Mage or a Black Mage cloak. Instead, he wore a black robe that seemed to drag on the ground a little as he walked, and while there was a hood attached to the robe, it was lowered now, allowing the girl to see the kindness in his eyes._

"_Elder?" Chrysta whispered as she watched the man come closer._

_The elder seemed to chuckle lightly as he came to step beside the girl. "So, you are here to look at the Crystal Core again?"_

"_Well, that is partly it," the girl answered as she turned her gaze back to the large crystal once more. She seemed slightly confused as she looked at it for more than one reason. If the Crystal Core was here, then where are the Lilties, Selkies and Yukes? How was the village of Mist here, allowing her to meet with Rydia and her mother? How was she able to hear about the Gestahlian Empire?_

"_I sense there is a lot on your mind, child," the elder said, giving the girl a look of concern. "You still don't understand this world, do you?"_

"_Yeah," Chrysta murmured with a nod of her head. "It's like this world is a combination of a few that I…" She trailed off trying to figure out the right way to say what she wanted. She was sure that if she said what it was originally, she would just get a weird look from the older man. And not that she could blame him. Nothing like that existed in this world!_

"_Go on," the elder urged, wondering what the girl was about to say._

_Chrysta sighed a little and lowered her head. "Well, it's like this world is a combination of a few that I know from stories back home," she said at last. That was the best way she could think of describe it: a story._

_The elder rubbed his beard for a moment before he turned to look at the girl. As she was still facing the Crystal Core, he saw the brunette from the side. "I can tell that isn't how you wanted to say that, but I can accept that answer."_

"_Thank you," Chrysta said politely, smiling a little. She raised her head once more. "That isn't the only thing I don't understand though." She turned her head to look at the Elder standing next to her. "I also want to know why I'm here. I mean, I'm not the only one to know these stories from my world. There are many others in my world that know of them, some maybe even loving them more than I do."_

_Now it was the Elder's turn to pause. He closed his hazel eyes for a moment, before opening them once more. "These stories you know… they are not even the reason you are here at all." He watched as the girl turned to face him. "It's even possible you could have ended up here without even knowing them. I'm sure we told you before how it is up to you to restore the balance in our world."_

"_I don't quite understand though," Chrysta replied in a quiet tone. "I mean, wouldn't someone from your world be more suited to save it?"_

_The Elder shook his head. "That is a question I don't have an answer for. All I know is that you possess a certain quality that allows the Crystal Core to be fused with you. And once it does, it will be up to you to restore the balance." He gazed at the girl sadly before he turned his head away, as though he could no longer look her in the eye. "I know this is difficult for you. To be pulled away from your world and being asked to do something like this."_

_Chrysta went silent after that. She would have been lying if she said that this had been an easy transition for her. The idea of being on a world like this did make her feel excited, but she knew the dangers that awaited her here. Which wasn't a good thing because she couldn't fend for herself, at least currently. And she knew that she was also homesick._

"_I'll do what I can," she said at last, feeling as though she didn't have much choice in the matter. "But this quality you say that I have. What is it?"_

_The Elder shook his head a little, yet returned his gaze to the girl. "We call it Crystal Power. We don't exactly know how one gets such an ability, especially where you come from. But only someone who has that inner ability can fuse with the Crystal Core."_

"_Crystal Power?" Chrysta echoed and for a brief moment wondered why that term came from what she called Crystal Chronicles, until she remembered where she was._

"_Yes. And it was that power that allowed you to be summoned here…"_

* * *

Chrysta slowly opened up her brown eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was still dark in the room and while there was no window, she assumed that it was still nighttime. The dream was fresh in her mind, even more so than the previous ones.

"Crystal Power," she whispered to herself. "What does that mean exactly? And I come from another world?"

She almost expected the Crystal Core to respond to what she said, but the voice in her head was silent. It made her wonder for the briefest instant if it needed its own rest too. But did such a crystal even need sleep? It sounded a little strange to her. She was about to repeat herself, to see if she would get an answer this time, when a familiar voice interrupted her.

"And just why should I trust you?" Mint's voice demanded loudly.

"Lower your voice," Cecil told the Black Mage in a tone that was softer. "You'll wake up Chrysta."

The brunette slowly pushed herself from her bed and approached the door. As she did, she could hear the other girl respond, "I'm sure she is still asleep. But again, why should I even trust you?" Despite what she said, she did lower her voice a bit.

"After what I have done, I don't ever expect forgiveness," the dark knight responded, giving the black mage an answer that sounded very familiar to Chrysta. "And yet, even Chrysta couldn't bring herself to hate me."

"How is that possible?" Mint demanded as though she couldn't believe it. "You killed Rue right in front of her eyes, kidnapped her as well as taking the Crystal Core! How could she say she didn't hate you?"

Before the dark knight could respond, Chrysta opened the door, startling the black mage. "It's a strange answer, but I think I know why."

"Ah, Chrysta! Did we wake you? I'm so sorry!" Mint said quickly and apologetically.

Chrysta held up her hands and shook her head. "No, it's okay. I was up a little before then," she told the worrying girl.

Cecil looked toward the girl his visor already raised. "You said before that you sensed something from me, and just couldn't hate me."

"Yeah, I remember you saying that before," she replied. "I think the reason I worded it that way was because at the time I didn't know how to say it. Even now I'm not completely sure."

Mint suddenly giggled as though she understood what the brunette was trying to say. "Oh, your stories, huh?"

"Stories?" Cecil repeated.

"That is how she would say it," Mint replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "She would always say that she was reminded of these many stories she knew back in her world."

"Her world?" the dark knight echoed, sounded confused.

"Oh, I guess I missed that part earlier," Mint said slowly. "I didn't think Chrysta wanted me to say that part, especially since she didn't remember anything before her capture." Before either one could explain anything, the Black Mage added, "I'll talk about this more tomorrow. Do try and get some rest, Chrysta."

Chrysta stared at the red haired girl, wondering why she couldn't just say anything now. But even she had to admit that she was still tired. But could she even rest after all of this? She looked over her shoulder to see that both Tina and Locke were still resting. At least, if they were awake, neither of them showed it.

A commotion outside of the room woke Chrysta once more, causing her to almost leap right out of her bed. Before she could even do anything, Mint rushed into the room and quickly put her finger to her lips. "Don't say anything and be quiet!"

"But…" Chrysta started to say, but Mint placed a hand over her mouth.

"That dragoon is back," the Black Mage whispered urgently. "He isn't alone either."

The brunette's eyes widened when she heard what the girl with the pigtails was saying. She would have removed the girl's hand from her mouth in order to question further, but she wasn't given the chance to.

"Why are you all here?" the voice of Edgar demanded. "If anything, I would have expected the Red Wings, or your own dragoons."

"You don't have any problem with the Empire's soldiers here, do you?" Kain questioned. Since she couldn't see him, she didn't know if the dragoon was holding his lance or not. "We are allies after all."

In her heart, Chrysta knew that things had gone from bad to worse.


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

While Edgar had expected this to happen, he didn't think it would happen this quickly. Despite what Kain had said, the young king knew what was really going on. In truth, it wasn't all that difficult to hide his feelings from the Imperial Soldiers. But whether or not they would believe him now would be the question.

Ignoring the desert sun, the young king started to slip away to the throne room. As he did, he reviewed the plan in his head as best as he was able. With the soldiers around, it would certainly be difficult. But they had to try or Chrysta would once again be their prisoner. And if he had to guess, that would also mean the Fire Crystal was in danger as well.

He came to a stop on the middle of the path, turning his head slightly to his left. Standing there was one of those soldiers and his chancellor. For a moment, he wondered what they were talking about, but his answer came not long later.

"You acted quickly enough," the chancellor remarked.

"We sort of had to," the soldier answered with a nod of his head. "It was because of you that we found out that they really are here, and that they planned on trying to escape."

"Of course," the chancellor replied with a nod of his head. "I am an ally to the Empire after all."

Edgar's eyes narrowed a little, but he said nothing. He couldn't, and he knew it. If he said anything now, he knew the real plan would fall apart. The most he was able to do was to send a glare in the chancellor's direction, making sure that both he and the soldier saw it, before he went on his way.

He opened the doors to the throne room, closing them behind him as he walked in. He allowed the angry look to drain from his face and a small sigh. He knew they couldn't delay and that they had to act quickly. But everyone had to safely gather in the throne room.

* * *

Locke shook his head, unable to stop himself from sarcastically mumbling, "Just great." In the hallways beyond were those Imperial Soldiers, and they appeared to be looking all over. He knew just standing there was stupid, they would be found out eventually this way. Not that he didn't have a plan though.

He walked toward Cecil and whispered his plan into his ear. The dark knight nodded slowly, showing that he understood. Without a word, the dark knight lowered his visor and the two got into position by the door. They waited for just a moment before they slowly opened the door. The girls watched the two slip out, and they looked to one another in confusion.

Not long later, they could hear some grunts, and the sounds of someone falling to the ground. One by one, Cecil and Locke brought in four Imperial Soldiers, all of them knocked out. Before any of them could say anything, the treasure hunter said, "We have to put on their uniforms. It is the only way."

The tone in Locke's voice was so urgent that the girls didn't argue with him. With a promise to not look at each other, the four put on the armor of the Imperials. Cecil stood guard at the door to make sure no one could come in while they were doing this.

"Ugh, this helmet reeks," Mint complained yet despite her words, she put it on anyway.

"Well, I'd rather that than being recognized at this point," Chrysta commented quietly.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Tina asked slowly.

"I'm sure it can," Locke quickly reassured. "How else are we going to get to the throne room?"

Cecil looked over his shoulder, finding that the others had completely changed into the brown colored armor. He smiled a little, hoping that it would be enough for them. After they made sure that the soldiers were bound so they couldn't do anything, they left the room one by one.

Now that they looked like the soldiers around them, it wasn't too difficult to walk around the castle. In fact, most of the soldiers didn't pay them any mind, aside from maybe sending a salute their way. The only thing that would be a problem would be if a certain dragoon saw them.

"You there," a soldier suddenly called to the group. They paused as the soldier approached them, but instead of looking at the false Imperials, he had his eye on Cecil. "Aren't you a dark knight of Baron?"

"Yes, I am," Cecil answered with a nod of his head. "I was sent here by the King of Baron in order to help you search for the Crystal Girl. I hear she is around here."

Though it was difficult, Chrysta managed to stop herself from growling. She knew why Cecil had to say it, but how much longer was she going to have to hear that nickname?

"Well, you are going to have to keep your eyes peeled," the soldier informed the dark knight. "She is definitely here, but no one can find her or her companions."

"I'll be sure to do that," Cecil told the soldier. "I trust you will do the same?"

The soldier nodded his head. "Sir, yes sir! You can count on me. I'll let you know if I see anything."

"You do that," Cecil told the soldier.

The soldier saluted the dark knight and walked off. After letting out sighs of relief, the group headed onward. Being found out now wouldn't be a good thing. A fight wasn't something they needed right now. They would be seriously outnumbered.

The path to the throne room was almost in sight when the group noticed Kain looking directly at them. He turned his attention to Cecil before looking at the 'soldiers' he was walking with. "I think we've been spotted," Tina whispered.

"Let's get moving then," Cecil said quickly as everyone picked up the pace.

Unable to help herself, Chrysta briefly looked over her shoulder and saw that Kain appeared to be hesitating. She didn't have any time to dwell on it though and quickly followed after the others.

* * *

Something in the back of his mind prevented the dragoon from moving forward. The words rang in his head as crystal clear as they ever have. Capture the girl with the Crystal Core. And while he couldn't tell which one she was, he knew she had to be one of the 'soldiers' following after that dark knight.

He wanted to move forward and do what his master wished, but he was just unable to move. He could hear a familiar voice talking to him. _"What would Rosa think? How would she feel when she finds out what I've done?"_

After a moment, Kain was able to shut the voice away. It was of no concern of his now. The only thing that mattered was bringing Chrysta the Crystal Girl into custody.

"Sir?" one of the Imperial Soldiers asked, his voice hinting concern. "Are you okay, sir?"

"I'm fine," the dragoon answered, waving away the soldier's worry. "Make your way to throne room, and take others with you. I believe our target is trying to get away."

* * *

Edgar was unable to stop his eyes from narrowing again when he saw the four Imperial Soldiers entering the throne room, but he quickly relaxed when he saw the dark knight with his visor raised. "You don't need to worry, it is just us. We need to get out of here, now!"

The young king simply nodded and motioned for the others to follow him. He came to stand beside the throne and carefully pushed a piece of stone inward. To the surprise of the others, the wall beside the button seemed to slide open.

"Quickly, inside!" Edgar urged as he ran into the secret passageway. Without a word, the others quickly did as they were told. When the last one entered, the wall closed behind them. Yet the path ahead was strangely bright.

"So, this is where the Crystal Room is," Cecil murmured as he followed after the young king, with everyone else following his lead. "Do they know this path is here?"

"They shouldn't," Edgar replied confidently. "It looked bad earlier, but I know the Chancellor hasn't said a word about this room." As he spoke, he remembered what he had seen earlier. The truth of the matter was, he was supposed to see that scene. He had given the Chancellor some false info to tell, before telling him what he really planned to do. After all, the Chancellor was someone that he had trusted even before he started ruling Figaro.

That and no one from Figaro was an ally to the Empire.

After walking down the path, they came into a mostly lit room, with the Fire Crystal floating above the pedestal. Edgar knew from being in this room the night before that it was mostly the power of the crystal that was making the room light up. They didn't have any time to look at it though. Instead, they followed the king to the side of the room.

"Another secret passage?" Locke mused thoughtfully as Edgar pushed another stone, making this wall open up as well.

"It was in case anyone had to get out with the Fire Crystal in a hurry," Edgar explained as he walked into the passageway. "I remembered it from the stories I was told as a kid, so I looked around last night for it."

"Where does it lead?" Chrysta asked worriedly.

"Outside of the castle," the king answered as he led the way.

There was silence between them all as they walked. Nothing happened as they moved forward, and all they could hear was the clanking footsteps that most of them were making, due to their armor. They had no idea how long they walked before they finally came to the end of the passageway.

The first thing that greeted them was the desert air, and some kwehs of nearby chocobos. The fake soldiers quickly took off their helmets, breathing in the desert air. They were thankful that none of them noticed what was going on. Everyone managed to climb on the chocobos backs, with Chrysta and Tina having more difficulty than the others.

"There they are!" a voice shouted from above the group.

"Let's go!" Edgar ordered, urging his chocobo forward. The other chocobos soon followed, taking their riders with them. The young king couldn't help a smile of satisfaction when he saw the soldiers and Kain exiting the castle as quickly as they could. Good, that was what he was hoping for!

Once he was sure that the last one was out, he shouted. "Now! Dive!"

"Yeah!" Mint exclaimed happily, as she felt the wind through her pigtails.

Chrysta looked over her shoulder in surprise when she heard a strange whirring sound behind her. She couldn't help a slight gasp as she saw the two sides being pulled into the center, the bridges seeming to disappear as they did so. She watched as the castle began to sink into the sand.

On the top of the castle, the Chancellor stood tall. "No one touches the people of Figaro!" After he said those words, he went back inside. Not long later, the castle seemed to completely sink into the sand.

"That is so perfect! I bet they didn't see that coming!" Mint remarked with a giggle.

"Will they be alright?" Tina asked slowly.

"They'll be fine," Chrysta answered, ignoring the earlier shock she had. "I don't think we need to worry about them." She was about to question herself why she felt that way when understanding finally dawned on her.

The stories that she mentioned in that memory. Was that how she knew how some of these people looked like? Is that how she knew the people of Figaro would be fine? While she couldn't say for sure, it was the only thing that made sense to her.

Not that it mattered, because they had to get as far away as possible.

**Author's Note: And with that, I have caught up! Updates will be a little slower, but I'm hoping it won't take too long to get the next chapter up!**


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing in Final Fantasy.

"You know, if you hadn't come to kidnap Chrysta, this wouldn't have happened!" Mint said irritably to the dark knight.

"I doubt it," Cecil said with a soft sigh. "If anything, that would have only delayed her capture."

The black mage didn't look convinced and instead sent a glare in the knight's direction. "And how do you know that?"

"Remember that Baron has an allegiance with the Gestahlian Empire now. If I hadn't been sent to capture her, someone else would have been." Before the redhead could question further, he added, "If it wasn't the Red Wings that came by, you would have likely seen the Gestahlian Soldiers with their Magitek Armor. And the anger you have toward me now would be geared to someone else."

Mint, who was unable to come up with anything else to say, grumbled a little and fell silent.

It wasn't just her though. Everyone was a little grumpy in their own way from the heat and from riding the chocobos so long. It seemed to take its toll on King Edgar as well who lived in his desert kingdom his whole life.

Deep in the back of her mind, Chrysta knew that she was tired of always constantly running. But she knew it was being done out of necessity. She could do some magic, but not very much of it. It wasn't nearly enough to protect herself, especially against the many soldiers that were likely giving chase at this very moment.

Mint was probably the most irritable and she was taking it out on Cecil. The dark knight did his best to try to explain himself better, but it seemed that she still didn't trust him yet. Tina seemed to be looking around, mostly with uncertainty on her face, as though there were many things she didn't know. While Chrysta was in the same boat as her, it did little to calm her. Locke looked over his shoulder every once and a while, relieved that the girls were safe, not knowing that Edgar sent a look of sympathy his way.

Edgar turned his gaze quickly in front of him. "There should be an oasis up ahead," he called to the group. "We should rest there while we can and fill our canteens."

For the briefest instant, this confused Chrysta, even though she wasn't quite sure why. Was it her 'stories' again? She couldn't say for sure. All she knew was that it seemed a little strange to her that there should be an oasis in this particular desert. After a moment, she shook her head, quickly reminding herself what she said in her that dream she had. That it had to be a combination of what she knew.

It wasn't long until the oasis came into full view. A couple palm trees could be seen around some water that was just so inviting. After coming to a full stop and everyone dismounted, Mint quickly made her way to one of the trees in order to get out of the desert sun. Tina, who was looking at the oasis as though it was the first time she had seen one, ended up following the black mage's lead.

Cecil and Edgar went to work in filling their canteens. They had no idea how much longer they were going to be here and needed to be prepared. Locke meanwhile glanced over at Chrysta, who hadn't left her chocobo's side. He couldn't help but smile as he saw the girl ruffling the bird's yellow feathers, which made it let out a happy sounding 'kweh.'

It was at that moment that the sounds of footsteps caught their attention. "Did those soldiers catch up to us already?" Cecil inquired as he stood.

"It does seem too soon and we can't take any chances," Edgar said with a nod of his head.

As everyone got their feet, they started looking around for places to hide. There wasn't much they could do however, since the tress could only provide so much shelter. Before any of them can get very far, a voice floated out to them.

"Locke? Is that you? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Locke's eyes widened a little. "That voice?" he whispered. He turned around and couldn't help a smile. Standing before him was a young blonde haired man with blue eyes and a monkey like tail, wearing blue clothes. "Zidane!"

The man named Zidane only smiled as the two of them placed their right fists underneath their left wrists. Chrysta tilted her head a little and repeated the motion. It seemed so familiar that she did it on instinct, and it felt natural to do.

"Do you know him?" Cecil questioned as he approached the two. Everyone else exchanged glances and stepped forward as well.

"Yeah, he is with this group that I was with for a brief time," Locke said with a nod of his head.

Edgar rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I seem to remember you said you were with the Tantalus Theatre Troupe. I never did quite understand why, considering..."

"Maybe they are thieves as well?" Tina guessed, tilting her head slightly and curiously.

Before Locke could correct her with the usual term, Chrysta quickly nodded her head and spoke without thinking. "Yeah, Tantalus is a group of thieves under the guise of a theater troupe."

Zidane turned his gaze to the two girls. He couldn't help staring at them for a moment, before he quickly regained his composure. "And how do you know that?"

Chrysta suddenly looked nervous. She knew she could just say her stories, but she was beginning to hate using that. Only because even she didn't understand what she meant by that anymore, only following what she heard the Crystal Core say, at least in this case.

"We don't have time for this," Edgar said, looking at Zidane for a brief moment. "If we wait around for too long, the imperial soldiers will catch up to us!"

"Need any help?" Zidane quickly offered. Before any of them could respond he said, "You don't need a reason to help someone in need!"

Locke smiled a little. "You always say that, Zidane. But if you could help, we'd be grateful. Is the Prima Vista nearby?"

The mention of the Prima Vista caused Chrysta to gulp a little bit and even she wasn't sure why this was the case. Even so, she felt as though Zidane could be trusted. Sure he was probably a thief if what she heard from the Crystal Core was correct. But somewhere deep down, she knew his offer was genuine. And yet, why did hearing about the Prima Vista make her feel so nervous?

"Yeah, it's pretty close to here," Zidane answered, not noticing the brunette's worry. Even if he did, he wouldn't know what she was thinking at the time. He waited for the group to mount their chocobos again and motioned for them to follow.

"Um, if I may ask, why are you in the desert?" Tina inquired.

"We needed to get some Sand Pearls," the thief answered.

Before he could continue, Mint couldn't help cringing. "Desert fever?" she guessed.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Zidane asked looking over his shoulder at the black mage. Like before, he had to quickly stop himself from staring. Locke sighed a little. Now he was wondering if Zidane only offered because he thought the girls were cute.

Mint didn't seem to notice and instead shivered a little despite the heat. "I had it not too long ago," she answered. "I was coming from Mysidia to see Chrysta, but I started feeling really sick. Once I set foot on the desert sand, it got worse. I was lucky to reach Figaro Castle before I collapsed."

At that moment, Cecil put two and two together, as he recalled when he first saw Mint again, a soldier said that she had only just recovered. So this was what he meant.

"Yeah, that happened to some of the others," Zidane went on. "Well, getting sick and stepping on the desert sand, I mean. Marcus, Blank and Cinna all came down with it."

"Well, those Sand Pearls will make them better," the black mage said. "Though it may take some time."

"As long as they get better, that's good enough for me," Zidane remarked, his tail swishing as he walked.

For the briefest instant, Chrysta wondered if she knew where Sand Pearls came from. And immediately she got her answer. _"The Sand Pearls can only be found during the full moon. They are made when the Antlions lay their eggs."_

Though she didn't get the full explanation as to why this was the case, that was good enough for her.

**Author's Note: I don't know when I will be able to update again. I'm having a bout of writer's block right now. Hopefully, it won't last too long!**


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